Day 65- Movie 55. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

I usually never getting around to watching movies like this. I typically check out the top 2-3 animated films in any given year, but I never seem to find the time to watch the second tier animated films. Besides Pixar and some of the work done by Dreamworks, many animated films are pretty bad. I typically don't think "Must see" when I hear about an animated film from Sony Pictures. And yet, this film proved all that logic wrong.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is based on a children's book of the same name, which I've never read. So, I entered this film without any expectations, save for what I remembered from the trailers a year or so ago. I was surprised to find that this was a visually beautiful, funny, entertaining film that left a lasting impression on me. I don't believe this film ranks up with Pixar is doing, but it was still an enjoyable experience.

The film is about a wannabe inventor who has a breakthrough and creates a machine that makes it rain food. This is all great, until the food starts growing larger and larger, finally reaching dangerous levels that threaten to destroy the town. The animation is pretty superb- the town undergoes a pretty visually miraculous transformation, from a gray, dull feel to one full of color and vibrant life as the raining food changes the lives of everyone in town. The animation of the food is pretty spectacular. I especially loved when the food became destruction- it's amazing how this all looks on screen. The spaghetti tornado was breathtaking. I'm not sure why, but it was very entertaining watching a town decimated by giant food.

The film isn't just about visuals. It's really about believing in yourself, especially when others doubt you. It's a story about a son trying to win the approval of his father and a story about a girl trying to feel comfortable with who she really is at the core. These stories present some valuable life lessons for kids, which gives the movie a more powerful, lasting feel to it. This isn't just about watching giant food fall from the sky- there's lessons to be learned here.

The voice cast is impressive- Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T (seriously), Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Al Roker, Will Forte, and others. It's actually a very good voice cast, and they all do impressive work.

While I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, I have to admit that this film just doesn't compare to the things Pixar is doing right now. Pixar has created some of the most iconic, memorable, incredible animated films of all time. The visuals are amazing and the stories are powerful as well. This movie isn't in the same league as the best Pixar films, but it is surprisingly close. I had a fun time watching this movie. I'd give it a solid 7/10.

On the 100 in 100 front, I thought I'd give a quick update. I did pretty well this week, at least keeping pace. However, I didn't make up any ground, and with 35 days left, I still have 45 movies to go. To make matters worse, it's possible I'll go the next 6 days without watching a movie. That would put me 16 movies behind the pace I need to keep up. I'm certainly going to do my best not to let that happen, but I'll definitely lose more ground over the next week. After that, things should quiet down some- just in time for me to attempt a final push to hit the mark by March 11th. I need to make up some of these movies. The worst case would be for me to try to make up all these movies right near the end- I certainly don't need that added pressure. I need to make it through the next week, and then get busy watching films. Thanks for reading.