Andy Samberg, Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Bruce Campbell, James Caan ...( see more  see more... ) , Neil Patrick Harris

When Flint Lockwood's (Bill Hader) latest contraption accidentally destroys the town square and rockets up into the clouds, he thinks his inventing career is over. Then something amazing happens as de...( read more  read more... )licious cheeseburgers start raining from the sky. His machine actually works! But when people greedily ask for more and more food, the machine starts to run amok, unleashing spaghetti tornadoes and giant meatballs that threaten the world! Now it's up to Flint, with the help of weather girl Sam Sparks (Anna Faris) and Steve, his talking monkey assistant, to find some way to shut down the machine before the world is covered in super-sized meatballs!

Flixster Users

70% liked it

444,027 ratings

Critics

86% liked it

125 critics

PG, 1 hr. 21 min.

Directed by: Chris Miller, Phil Lord

Release Date: September 18, 2009

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DVD Release Date: January 5, 2010

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Stats: 15,964 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (15,964)


  • February 7, 2010
    Borrowed this from a co-worker. It was quite humourous. I was NOT expecting to hear Mr. T's voice as the cop. The kids loved it.
  • February 3, 2010
    Surprisingly good! Cute likeable characters and an interesting storyline about the science of raining food on an island city where the people only ate sardines. I like the science kid Flint, his talking monkey,the weather girlfriend, the bald moustached daddy, the hyper policeman...( read more) and the townspeople of Swallow falls. It was a great community, as fun and varied as the Simpson's Springfield. I thought The styling of the characters and settings all worked nicely. I liked the mutant rat-birds and artistic meteoric meatballs and threatening spaghetti tornados. Sony Animation scored with this colourful (and tasty) movie!
  • January 19, 2010
    When my sister and I were really young every time it rained we shared wishful thinking about how we'd like to some day rain food. And someone thought of it as well! I'd be quite happy if it rained gigantic chocolate donuts in my backyard. Or if I could eat my way through spaghett...( read more)i-and-meatball tornadoes. And use giant pancakes as my blanket.

    I'm getting sidetracked....I was supposed to review the movie! Which I found quite regaling, and in multiple ways entertaining. The first half was much better than the second, and the ending just spoiled most of it for me. Some things were unnecessary or otherwise ridiculous, but overall, it's an extremely funny movie, and looks into many human vices with a very subtle and sarcastic way.
  • January 17, 2010
    Joe Towne: These taste significantly better than sardines.

    Initial Note: This movie is truly hilarious. Second viewing was amazing, and this will probably be way to underrated.

    A highly entertaining animated feature. Despite having a marketing campaign that really undersold me...( read more) on the film, this movie turned out to be hilarious, as well as very good looking, working well as a 3D animated feature.

    Based on a children's book of the same title, the story is about a man who has always wanted to invent something that would change the world. This man is Flint Lockwood, voiced by Bill Hader, and after a series of unsuccessful inventions, he develops a machine that will take in water and turn it into food.

    But I'm getting ahead of myself. Flint lives on a small island in the Atlantic ocean where sardines uses to be the only export until it was revealed that sardines don't taste very good. Now the town is sort of in a state of shambles, with the mayor, voiced by Bruce Campbell, hoping to find a way to get his town back on the map.

    During the launch of a new sardine theme park, Flint secretly powers his machine at a power plant, only to have it rocket into the sky, destroying much of the town in the process. People are very much mad at Flint, including his father, voiced by James Caan, until it is discovered that his machine works, and food begins raining from the sky. Flint, along with some help from a new weather reporter, voiced by Anna Faris, develops a way to request what food is developed in the sky and things seem to work in the towns favor, that is until the overload of power starts to make the food larger and larger.

    News Anchor: The food seems to be falling in a rather peculiar fashion, taking out the most important landmarks around the world first.

    While based on the children's book, the film was scripted and directed by the creators of a cult favorite MTV series, Clone High, which had a very witty and sharp sense of humor that is very evident in this film. The tone of this film is very self aware, adhering to the basic story beats of the young, misunderstood hero, but creating hilarity due to how it treats the predictability of its own plot as well as throwing in tons of great one liners, sight gags, running jokes, and physical comedy.

    Flint Lockwood: Come on, Steve. We've got a diem to carpe!

    Instead of trying to find a bunch of A-list actors to shove into roles, the film makes good use of comedians and character actors that fit. Bill Hader of SNL is solid in his first real lead role. Bruce Campbell and James Caan are well cast. Then you have a list of others that includes Neil Patrick Harris, Andy Samberg, and most importantly Mr. T of all people. Some how, Mr. T was completely hilarious and amazing throughout this film.

    The animation is very good. Sony doesn't attempt to match the quality of Pixar, opting for a Dreamworks styled animated film, but that's not a knock against it. Instead, this film embraces its broader character and background designs, filling the screen with vibrant colors and a lot of dynamic action sequences. The film's later scenes actually stand up really well as a disaster film...with giant food. Probably one of the better 3D film's I've watched.

    Flint Lockwood: I wanted to run away, but you can't run away from your own feet.

    Overall, I was incredibly surprised at how entertaining this film was. It's very funny, full of imagination, and looks great.

    "Baby" Brent: The pizza's chasing us!
  • January 15, 2010
    :D

    review to come.
  • February 9, 2010
    HILARIOUS!!! love this movie and very kids friendly.
  • February 9, 2010
    The story was to rushed!
  • February 9, 2010
    Cute for a kids movie, a little disapointed it wasn't more like the book.
  • February 9, 2010
    Cute, funny, good story, unconventional
  • February 9, 2010
    My three kids love this movie!

Critic Reviews


September 21, 2009
A.O. Scott, At the Movies

For me, this movie was just too noisy, too overstuffed, too gross. full review

September 18, 2009
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

It takes an iron stomach to watch this stuff and not feel nauseated. full review

September 18, 2009
Kyle Smith, New York Post

The animated movie greatly expands on the kids' book on which it's based in a clever and engaging first half. But the second half leaves a foul aftertaste. Slapdash action scenes play against dreary w... full review

September 18, 2009
Nigel Andrews, The Financial Times

The film continues in meal-monsoon mode for 90 minutes with scant variation. full review

September 18, 2009
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle

ransforms Judi and Ron Barrett's ink-drawn tale of edible precipitation into some kind of IMAX aversion therapy for popcorn-snarfing theater-goers. In a word: gross. full review

September 17, 2009
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have written an engaging and comically absurd story with subtle messages, more sophisticated than what usually is offered in animated fare. full review

September 17, 2009
Pete Hammond, Boxoffice Magazine

It's raining big food and big laughs in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, a hysterically funny and wildly clever new 'toon that could just turn out to be the most purely entertaining and inventive an... full review

September 17, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It seemed to me the mountains of fudge, ice cream and pancakes overshot the mark and looked silly, and the airborne food cast a pall over the city, but by golly those kids are plucky. full review

View more Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • amalinaazra
    September 19, 2009
    im feel hungry....!!
    i want food!
    i want food!
    i want food!
  • ilovetheeightiesforever
    September 18, 2009
    I totally love movies like this one. I would love it if this actually came true too, just imagine thinking about food and pooof it appears. I don't know about you but I would be thinking about pepperoni and sausage pizzas and also be thinking about spaghetti with ragu sauce and IN-N-OUT Burgers and french fries. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm sounds yummy to me. i wish it could come true, it would solve the hunger in this overcrowded world.
  • thesilverhorseshoe
    April 21, 2009
    who wrote the book 'cloudy w/ chance of meatballs?' if some1 will tell than i can read it and decide whether i want 2 c it or not!
  • pooglywoogly
    April 19, 2009
    i think it would be better in live action. with real people acting it out.
  • skennedy40977
    March 18, 2009
    I loved this book as a kid...think it'll be a good movie?

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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