My Movie Review on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 · 2:24am Nov 18th, 2021
Yo, what's up, Kemosabes?
This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.
Today, for my 252nd film analysis, and the 3rd installment of this year's "Thanksgiving Treat", I'm gonna give you guys my take of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2".
Here's the rundown of this sequel:
After saving the world from out-of-control food weather, Flint Lockwood and the rest of the town's residents are forced to evacuate Swallow Falls until it can be cleaned up of all the mutated food. Since then, Flint's been working at a science organization called Live Corp., and he hopes to create an invention that could impress the company's CEO and his childhood hero: Chester V.
However, when Chester informs Flint that his Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Food Dynamic Food Replicator (FLDSMDSFR for short) is not only still working but creating sentient food creatures (Foodimals), Flint immediately accepts Chester's request to return to Swallow Falls, find the machine, and shut it down for good.
Accompanying Flint on the adventure is Sam Sparks (his girlfriend), Tim Lockwood (his father), Steve the monkey, Manny the cameraman, "Chicken" Brent McHale, and Earl Deveraux (formerly the police officer of Swallow Falls).
After I did my review of the first film, I knew that doing an analysis of its sequel was going to be an absolute must. Mainly because the beginning of it takes place right after the events of the first film.
The last time I saw the movie was a long time ago, and I remembered not exactly enjoying it. In retrospect, I think it was because I saw it right after seeing the first movie on the same day, and so doing that caused a nostalgia rush within me. All of this was why I eventually decided to give "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" another chance, and I had a feeling that maybe I'd have a change of heart towards it now that I'm older.
So, what do I think of this movie in words? Even after all these years?
Well, I will admit that this sequel wasn't perfect. It's mainly because there were some jokes in this movie that were either out-of-place or unnecessary, like the 'piece of cake' joke that happens before the climax.
Other than that, I really must say that "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" turned out to be better than I remembered it being!
For instance, the direction by Cody Cameron and Kris Pearl, the story by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Erica Rivinoja, and the screenplay by Rivinoja, John Francis Daley, and Jonathan Goldstein, were extremely well-done.
Despite the comedy aspect not being the best, there were still tons of gags that were undeniably entertaining, and they didn't disrupt the flow of the story either. Plus, the movie contained heart and emotion that was spectacularly soul-tugging, and its morals about friendship were meaningful ones to live by.
When it comes to being a successor of the original film, this sequel actually managed to be a worthy and creatively-inspired entry. It was amazing how the filmmakers used the end of the first movie as a launching pad for this sequel, and the aftermaths gave the filmmakers the opportunity to expand on the characters and give exploration on what happens next. The revelation that the FLDSMDSFR wasn't completely destroyed also didn't feel like a needless and out-of-nowhere retcon, and its newfound abilities to create Foodimals also proved to be a great way of broadening the scopes.
The animation by Sony Pictures Imageworks was amazing, if I may add.
As I watched the movie, I noted how technologically different the animation was compared to its predecessor, particularly with its increase in color. But, the overall visualization was incredibly faithful to the first movie thanks to having the exact same designs of the world, environment, and characters. It was like the directors and animators managed to balance the overall style by making it the same as the first movie yet different nevertheless, and it takes a very creative team to do that. The character animation was what I had fun with the most, because it was not only lively but very expressive.
Finally, the voice acting, characters, and character development were as enjoyable as ever.
When I first saw the sequel, I thought that Flint was out-of-character because he seemed dumber compared to his appearance in the first movie. To my surprise, he wasn't as dumb as I remembered him being. As an adult, I understand now that some of the things Flint did were out of excitement towards Chester V since he was his hero, and every kind of emotion is powerful enough to make a person do something without thinking. As a character, Flint was still as lovable as he was in the first film, and his development throughout the movie was powerful with a capital 'P'. And I really can't deny it, Bill Hader was terrific in his reprisal as the character.
Likewise, Chester V and Barb the talking orangutan turned out to be worthy new additions to the series.
At first glance, Chester may not seem like much in terms of being a villain. But, his manipulative and deceptive nature, and his intelligence, helped the character be instantly unpredictable. As the film kept going, he also proved to be a formidable and intimidating force to be reckoned with. He had great personality and development too, and the revelation that he was an alternate reflection to Flint helped the character not be a mere plot element. Will Forte did an excellent job portraying the character, and the way his performance matched Chester's movements and feelings was remarkable.
The character of Barb was also quite a scene-stealer. In a way, her role as Chester's assistant made her an alternate to Steve the monkey, only unlike Steve she wasn't treated as a friend by Chester. She had powerful character development, brilliant personality, and her comedic-timings were hilarious! Kirsten Schaal nailed it in her portrayal as the character, if I may add.
The rest of the vocal performance and characters were amazing as well.
My favorite aspects regarding the supporting characters were the upgraded roles Sam and Tim Lockwood had. I loved that Sam wasn't just Flint's love interest in the first film, but also his voice of reason. Whenever Flint was in a time of misfortune, his father would offer support and guidance to help him, which truly shows how far he came since the last movie. Plus, Terry Crews is definitely no Mr. T, but he was a surprisingly fitting replacement for the character of Earl, and he did a fantastic job at playing the part.
In the end, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" is a sequel that I'm happy to say was better than I remembered it being. Considering the fact that Columbia has no plans to make anymore film installments of the franchise, I believe this movie's a perfect conclusion to the series. And just like the first movie, I highly recommend this more for pre-teens and older, mainly because it just goes to show how certain animated features are more understandable for people 11 and up rather than under 11.
So, I rate "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" 4½ out of 5 stars.
I enjoyed this movie because of the theme of environmentalism and ecology. Although I didn't watch it as a kid, but if I would watch it when it was released, this movie would cure my anxiety after the first movie as the film portrayed the Foodimals like sentient animals rather than monsters.
I like this movie. Not as great as the first one, but it stand out which I like and I do love the food animals which if this movie was in My Little Pony. Flutteshy would love this place
I haven't seen this movie yet. But I'll definitely let you know what my input on it is after I've seen it.
Actually I remember watching this movie with my niece and nephew in the movie wasn't actually that bad it was a little silly but a very interesting one
“There’s a leek in the boat!”
Nice