Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Overview

An inventor and a savvy weather girl (voiced by Bill Hader and Anna Faris) attempt to discover why the sky has opened up and is dumping food instead of rain in this Sony Pictures Animation 3-D adaptation of the children's book by Ron and Judi Barrett. The picture is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, with supporting voice work by James Caan, Andy Samberg, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T, and Bobb'e J. Thompson.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/05/2010
UPC:	0043396215634
Original Release:	2009
Rating:	PG
Source:	SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMT
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:30:00
Sales rank:	5,846

Special Features

Directors' commentary with Bill Hader; DVD-ROM link to exclusive online fun

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Bill Hader	Flint Lockwood
Anna Faris	Sam Sparks
James Caan	Tim Lockwood
Andy Samberg	"Baby" Brent
Bruce Campbell	Mayor Shelbourne
Mr. T	Earl Devereaux
Bobb'e J. Thompson	Cal Devereaux
Benjamin Bratt	Manny
Neil Patrick Harris	Steve
Al Roker	Patrick Patrickson
Lauren Graham	Fran Lockwood
Will Forte	Joe Towne
Max Neuwirth	Young Flint
Peter Siragusa	Rufus
Angela Shelton	Regina Devereaux
Neil Flynn	Weather News Network Producer
Liz Cackowski	Flint's Teacher
Isabella Acres	Voices
Shane Baumel	Voices
Cody Cameron	Voices
John Cygan	Voices
Paul Eiding	Voices
Gary Hecker	Voices
Sherry Lynn	Voices
Mona Marshall	Voices
Christopher Miller	Voices
Jan Rabson	Voices
Jeremy Shada	Voices
Melissa Sturm	Voices
Lori Alan	Voices
Bob Bergen	Voices
Marsha Clark	Voices
Ann Dominic	Voices
Jess Harnell	Voices
Phil Lord	Voices
Danny Mann	Voices
Mickie McGowan	Voices
Laraine Newman	Voices
Grace Rolek	Voices
Will Shadley	Voices
Ariel Winter	Voices
Tracy Morgan	Voices
Mark Mothersbaugh	Composer

Technical Credits

Christopher Miller

Phil Lord

Judi Barrett

Christopher Miller	Director,Screenwriter,Director,Screenwriter
Phil Lord	Director,Screenwriter
Pam Marsden	Producer
Yair Landau	Executive Producer
Mary Hidalgo	Casting
Judi Barrett	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

What kid wouldn't want to see a movie called Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs? The name promises such a messy good time, the biggest problem the movie faces is living up to such a gloriously goofy title. The story centers on inventor Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader), a young man whose impractical creations -- such as spray-on shoes and a device that verbalizes a monkey's thoughts -- have yet to bring him fame or fortune. As a result of his continued struggles, his father (James Caan) wants him to stop his elaborate experiments and come work in his store selling sardines, their town's chief export. With the city having fallen on hard times, the ambitious mayor (Bruce Campbell) wants to make over the town into a tourist attraction. He sees his golden opportunity when Flint's newest invention -- a machine that turns water into food -- causes meatballs to rain down from on high. Flint, basking in the glory of his first success, falls for a weather channel reporter (Anna Faris) sent to cover this highly unusual phenomenon, but he still doesn't understand why his father doesn't seem to approve of him even after he's become the town hero. For an hour, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs revels in the kind of silliness the title suggests -- it's a thoroughly pleasant kid's film with just enough quirkiness to keep mom and dad happy. Flint's relationship with his father turns out to be the main thrust of the story; his desire to earn his dad's pride and respect drives him. The screenwriters underscore this point through the affectionate relationship between two other characters -- authoritative cop Earl Devereaux (Mr. T) and his young son, Cal. The former Clubber Lang is very funny, and rather touching, as a hard-nosed officer whose heart melts when it comes to his kid. He's so good it's kind of amazing nobody has thought to cast him in an animated film before. Though Mr. T might be the standout in this cast, he's far from the only highlight. Hader, Faris, and Campbell all manage to put a twist on their lines, making even the occasionally obvious punch lines work. In fact, the film really only loses steam in the final 30 minutes, which is an extended action sequence where Flint and the gang attempt to retrieve his meatball-making creation from the sky. The visuals, though fine, just don't have the pizzazz that the actors' voices do. And while little ones might not care about all that stuff, they certainly will get a kick out of the spaghetti tornado, the ice cream storm, and the cheeseburger downpour. Basically, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs succeeds because it does genuinely offer something to entertain everyone in the family.