Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

(PG) Sony DVD/BD

This riotous film inspired by a beloved children’s book ticks all the right boxes for family entertainment.

Aspiring inventor Flint Lockwood is a socially-awkward genius behind some of the most bizarre contraptions ever conceived. His inventions, from spray-on shoes to a monkey thought translator, although spectacular failures, never dampened his desire to invent something that would benefit those around him.

When Flint’s latest invention, a gadget to turn water into food, goes awry and hurtles skyward, he thinks his inventing career might be over. That is, until it starts raining food.

The food weather is an instant success and Flint forges a friendship with local weathergirl Sam Sparks as she reports on “the greatest weather phenomenon in history”.

But the town’s greed in asking for more and more food makes the machine start acting erratically and the food gets larger and larger. Soon the town is threatened by 15-metre sushi rolls and meatballs the size of trucks.

It’s up to Flint and Sam to save the town and stop his crazed invention.
The concept for this movie is both ripe (excuse the pun) for computer animation and its themes of convenience technology, fast food and greed give the whole family something to think about after the credits roll.

Extras on the disc comprise a game and fun segments on the ingredients it takes to cook up a fun family film.

Adrian Drayton