Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 – Film Review
Directors: Cody Cameron & Kris Pearn
Starring: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Will Forte, Andy Samberg, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris and Terry Crews
Release Date: Out Now
Mr. T gets circumcised from sequelitis duty. Chris Miller & Phil Lord (original directors of CWACOM) jumped to 21 Jump Street. Beyond new coming directors C. Cameron, K. Pearn and a triplet of scribes, the original crew return.
Recap.
2009.
The original CWACOM.
A witty treasure chest of imagination it was. Loosely based on the marvelously illustrated book of the same name. The film was an alternate beast from its 38 page source, now populated with spanking new characters and plots. Though, faithfulness to a text can sometimes be over glorified. As faithfulness isn’t a guarantee that a translation will be dandy in the film universe. With a trilogy of CWACOM books in being, you’d assume an adaptation of the second book: Pickles to Pittsburgh? Nay. The scribers sail free of adapting duties, dream weaving their own plot. But pickles do make a nifty appearance.
Their dream weaving of CWACOM2 goes like this…
Following food-havoc and priceless property damage of film one; the sardine frenzied citizens vacate their island for a cosmic cleanup operation. Fronting clean-up duties: a latter day Gary Glitter lookalike/wunderkind scientist: Chester V. Coincidentally common sense deficient Flint Lockwood has been weak kneed at the prospect of working with Chester, his childhood hero. But Chester V has Machiavellian plans afoot for his young fanatic. Meanwhile the mutilated food machine partakes in resurrection antics, despite its Death Star sized funeral pyre. Following rebirth, the food machine conceives an armada of GM Franken-food monsters, more cutesy than macabre. Naturally, Flint and his band of colourful crew find themselves on a mission to destroy the rogue machine…again.
It’s a curious case a CWACOM sequel exists with events and character arcs of film uno so neatly tied. Herein lies prime sentiment. As an escapade, a sequel wasn’t necessary…beyond cougher filling for dollar worshipping suits. “Hold your horses Mr. Snooty Critic” one may say. “It only be a kid’s movie, not intended for wet blankets. Plus that auld Godfather film, originally intended as a single movie, wasn’t the story for that more or less rounded in one film? But they made a sequel anyway, one of the most renowned. Mainly made for the moolah rather than the artistic integrity thing”.
True.
However The Godfather Part II covered new and captivating ground, CWACOM2 recycles. Example: Film one. Guinea pigging his Father, Flint dashes through experiments gone awry via the power of montage. A near replica of the scene appears for film two. Even the inexplicable resurrection of the food machine feels like a lazy excuse to kick start the tale again. As for the characters, the palette to their arcs appear like Sorny/Panaphonic (that be a Simpsons reference for the uninitiated) versions of their former selves. The strained relationship between Flint and Father had something emotionally truthful at stake in film one. The plotline, intelligently tied on the film’s climax. Yet film two attempts to unravel that knot and slightly revisit that same plot line… again. Except chief tragedy here be Flint’s reluctance to go fishing with Daddy. Aww.
Oh and it’s never a good sign where a film has to descend to the folly of the fart “joke”. Whilst the film’s poster proclaims “from the studio that brought you The Smurfs”, sure, one can count that the target demographic be for the bambinos. But there be an abundance of successful and fun children’s entertainment that didn’t have to break wind to be lucrative. And like film one, if the film can appeal beyond younglings, wet blanket adults included, all the merrier for the Hollywood bean counters.
While there’s plenty to be a-typically critic about, CWACOM2 is far from cinematic cyanide. Its fancy chewing gum for the iris with its inspired design. The most arresting cuisine creature be the dolphin/velociraptor/banana hybrid. Budding mad scientists out there, forget curing cancer and just make a banana dolphin a reality! Other notable creatures include the pickle hoard. The most potent scenes in CWACOM2 resound with the pickles having a fishing/bonding exercise with J. Caan’s mono browed brute. The landscapes designs are gorgeous with charming details for the eagle eyed, such as Cheerio growing trees. Design isn’t the only thing the film has in its charm arsenal.
Formerly the character of Mr. T, Police man Earl (now played by Terry Crews) owns some amusing scenes. Particular highlights include the scene where his food-tastic surroundings squeezes an awe filled tear from the hardened authoritarian. However with the power of his mystic masculinity, manages to defy Isaac Newton and suck his tear back into his ducts.
Overall, CWACOM2 passes the time. It may have improved the movie if the writers adapted elements of Pickles to Pittsburgh rather than flogging their own ideas so wholeheartedly. But that may be an arduous task stretching a 32 page book into a feature length when so much elements from book one had been drastically modified. Anyway, if you’re looking for undemanding viewing or want to treat the tots, such and such should be satisfied. But for mortals with expectations after the original, abandon hope ye who enter here.
Score: 3/5
Written by Dylan Delaney
