DVD Review – Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
2 min read
After lovable inventor Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader) and his ragtag group of friends save the world from a giant food storm in the first movie, the team must venture back to his home island to help Flint’s hero, Chester V (voiced by Will Forte), clean up the mess from the storm and stop a herd of monstrous cheeseburger spiders (“cheesespiders”) from potentially destroying the world’s most famous landmarks. Upon their return to Swallow Falls, Flint and friends discover an overgrown jungle-like environment now habitat to a vast array of food animals (“foodimals”) and begin to suspect there is more to Chester V’s motives than first meets the eye.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is a delightful film, jam-packed with entertainment and laughs to suit the whole family. Directors Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn provide a wildly inventive and intelligent continuation of the much-loved first film, ensuring first and foremost that the film’s captivating charm remains a steady constant. While Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs may have an edge over Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 when it comes to originality of storyline, the sequel more than holds it own; I felt just as much, if not more, delight and wonderment stepping into this new anthropomorphic world as I did first round. Entering into the world of foodimals will enthral the youngest of audience members and impress even the most reluctant viewers, for who can resist the cleverness that is a “Buffaloaf” (a buffalo made out of meatloaf), a “Tyranno-s’more-us Mess” (a T-Rex made out of s’mores), or a “Tacodile” (a crocodile in the form of tacos)?
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, produced by Sony Pictures Animation, certainly gives the animation heavyweights Pixar and DreamWorks a run for their money. The art and animation in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is gorgeous, providing a wildly imaginative landscape from which some rather fantastical characters are able to flourish and come alive. While at times scenes feel cluttered and frenetic, with far too many new images to take in and not enough time to do so, rather than feeling frustrated by the hectic pacing, I couldn’t help but be swept away. This is a kid’s film after all, and the exuberant pacing of the film would suit even the most attention-deficit, inviting the opportunity to re-watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 over and over again to catch sight of something new.
Ultimately, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is a strong sequel and an entertaining family film that has something for everyone. From adventure, to suspense, to romance, to cuteness overload, this film won’t disappoint in providing a sugary-hit of pure enjoyment. Animation has the magical power of bringing a child-like fascination out of even the most serious of moviegoers and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 achieves just that.
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