A winner in every respect

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's feature-film debut as writers and directors, 2009's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs adapts Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett's beloved 1978 children's book with delightful results, making for an entertaining, hilarious and heartfelt animated picture that gives Pixar a run for their money. With the ability to appeal to adults and children alike, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is energetic and frenetically paced with sumptuous visuals, but Lord and Miller thankfully do not overlook character development or storytelling, ensuring that the movie has staying power beyond its surface-level pleasures. Lord and Miller structure the picture like an old-fashioned disaster film, imaginatively parodying and paying homage to the likes of Twister, Armageddon, The Core and Independence Day.

An aspiring inventor, Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) lives on the tiny island of Swallow Falls in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The island's economy relies on the fishing of sardines, but the local cannery permanently closes after the world realises that sardines are super gross, leaving the locals of Swallow Falls with nothing to eat but sardines. Refusing to work at a sardine store owned by his father (James Caan), Flint seeks to make his mark on the world by inventing the "Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator" (or FLDSMDFR), which transforms water into food. Inadvertently launching his machine into the sky, the FLDSMDFR is a huge success, resulting in junk food continually raining down from the clouds, delighting the residents and the shifty Mayor Shelbourne (Bruce Campbell). An amateur weather reporter named Sam Sparks (Anna Faris) is present to cover the action, and grows closer to Flint as the two begin to spend time together. However, as the mayor bullies Flint to deliver more food varieties, the food becomes increasingly larger and out of control, putting the town - and the rest of the world - in danger of destruction.

Lord and Miller use the book as a loose framework, expanding the characters and story for this big-screen interpretation while anchoring the narrative in unexpected emotion and heart. Flint is a relatable and endearing protagonist who strives to prove himself to the residents of Swallow Falls, staying true to his aspirations despite enduring ridicule as a child for inventing spray-on shoes that he cannot remove. After the death of Flint's supportive and understanding mother, he yearns for validation from his bewildered, hard-working father, creating an emotional core that elevates the narrative above the superficial. It helps that the characters feel real and fleshed out, with Flint's father even demonstrating a complete technological ignorance that many viewers will relate to. Furthermore, the story's underlying messages about the dangers of overindulgence, junk food addiction and societal excess do not come across as preachy; instead, they provide agreeable substance to supplement the colourful, food-filled chaos.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs does not outstay its welcome, with the film clocking in at under 80 minutes, excluding credits. Whereas any number of other animated movies are padded out with needless supporting characters to provide cheap and easy laughs, Lord and Miller stay focused on Flint throughout the narrative, and no scenes or moments feel superfluous or boring. The momentum is extraordinary, with the feverish visual style immensely helping to maintain a strong sense of pacing; the virtual camera scarcely stops moving, and there are visual gags galore. The CGI is wonderfully stylised instead of photorealistic, though the textures are striking and almost leap off the screen, which is augmented even further by the 3D presentation. During the action-packed climax, the filmmakers merrily embrace the possibilities of a food armageddon, showing all manner of food raining down on people in recognisable cities around the world. A sandwich is impaled on the Eiffel Tower, and a giant fortune cookie falls on the Great Wall of China, while the presidents on Mount Rushmore are hit with pies. One news reporter even points out that the chaos is hitting famous landmarks first, a savvy commentary on the tendency for disaster movies to only show the destruction of landmarks. Mark Mothersbaugh's whimsical original score adds further flavour to the production, perfectly complementing the lovely visual feast on display.

The ensemble is note-perfect, demonstrating the virtues of selecting voice actors for their talent instead of their star power. Hader is a gifted comic performer, making for an earnest and sympathetic underdog hero who feels distinctly human. Faris is equally excellent, delivering an endearing voice performance teeming with vibrancy and wit. Flint and Sam's relationship gives further heart to the picture; the pair light up the screen with their sweet and playful dialogue, making for enchanting semi-romantic partners. The late James Caan is another standout as Flint's father, bringing genuine gravitas and humanity to what could have been a clichéd, one-dimensional role. Bruce Campbell and Andy Samberg add further colour to the production, with Samberg enthusiastically clowning it up as the infantile namesake of the Baby Brent Sardines cannery. The iconic Mr. T is also on hand playing tough-as-nails local police officer Earl Devereaux. With his immediately recognisable voice, he embraces the inherent absurdity of the material and scores many laughs along the way. Another key player is Neil Patrick Harris as the voice of Flint's pet monkey, Steve, who can communicate using a translator invented by Flint.

Over a decade later, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs confidently stands the test of time in its visual construction and screenplay, with Lord and Miller relying on good old-fashioned wit to score laughs, rather than a barrage of pop-culture references. There is so much to enjoy here, from a whimsy scene of Flint and Sam frolicking in a mansion made of Jell-O to the wonderful end-credit song (Raining Sunshine by Miranda Cosgrove) that closes the movie on a high note. With its appealing characters, effective humour, lovely visuals and delicious-looking food of all kinds, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a winner in every respect.