Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Reviews
Sam B
Super Reviewer
October 4, 2013
"Cloudy 2" was colorful and cute enough to hold my attention, but it lives in its predecessors shadow so bluntly that the movie seems to be self-aware of the fact. Instead of forming new gags, it reuses old ones, and besides for the funny food puns, the other new additions (like Will Forte's villain) feel uninspired. There are moments that recall the best that the original had to offer, but most of the movie either regurgitates old jokes, or uses its cute, goofy food animals to gather up those sweet, sweet "minion" dollars.
Bradley W
Super Reviewer
July 7, 2013
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is a fun family film that is a good way to kill some time.
Jeff B.
Super Reviewer
October 3, 2013
In this PG-rated animated comedy-adventure, inventor Flint Lockwood (Hader) is forced to leave his dream job when he learns that his infamous machine is still operational and churning out menacing food-animal hybrids.
With equal parts heart and humor, Pixar and Dreamworks certainly cornered the market on animated family flicks. With Cloudy 2, Sony comes close to this bar. Here, original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller get replaced by Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn while original screenwriters get replaced by Horrible Bosses scribes John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. This overall change results in a romp boasting more zip and laughs than the first go-round. The names and designs given the food creatures, for example, prove hilariously gut busting whether you're young or just young at heart.
Bottom line: Cheeseburger in Paradise.
While Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ended up to be fun but never out-and-out funtastic, its second helping dishes out better gags and a tasty forecast overall. Oh, it never even reaches near-perfection but manages to put forth a sequel that amazingly trumps its predecessor when it comes to pure amusement. And it's NOT being based on a popular children's book. That's right, it's seemingly conjured up like magic...or, at least, magic created from a somewhat formulaic How To manual for young magicians. The rabbit in this very loosely based hat, however (true, it's based on characters and an overall situation from such a book, but still...), offers up a magic show that's weighed down by a cloyingly familiar moral (REAL friends are friends forever) but buoyed by some crackling wit.
In this PG-rated animated comedy-adventure, inventor Flint Lockwood (Hader) is forced to leave his dream job when he learns that his infamous machine is still operational and churning out menacing food-animal hybrids.
With equal parts heart and humor, Pixar and Dreamworks certainly cornered the market on animated family flicks. With Cloudy 2, Sony comes close to this bar. Here, original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller get replaced by Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn while original screenwriters get replaced by Horrible Bosses scribes John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. This overall change results in a romp boasting more zip and laughs than the first go-round. The names and designs given the food creatures, for example, prove hilariously gut busting whether you're young or just young at heart.
Bottom line: Cheeseburger in Paradise.
Anthony L.
Super Reviewer
September 27, 2013
While I agree with the consensus that it's not as clever as the first film, I have to disagree with the fact that it's not as inventive. From the 'Rock Candy Mountain' to 'Shrimpanzees,' Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 does everything it can to not fall victim to the cliche sequel formula, and for the most part, it works quite well. The setting is unspeakably beautiful. The animators did a great job with creating such a detailed, fascinating setting. The characters are much like they were in the last film; optimistic and delightful. It's a very happy film, like it should be. But too often, it becomes formulaic of the normal animated film of post 2000 (as opposed to a typical sequel, which feeds off it's predecessor). There's an introduction, an inspiration, a journey, and ultimately, an ending in which the protagonist comes to a stage of self actualization, and saves the world. Yes, it's formulaic, but aren't most films nowadays, animated or not ? Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is a worthy sequel, a rare one that I liked just as much as I adored the first. It doesn't have the same amount of pizazz in the characters as it did in the first film, but that's an impossibility with a sequel. It's one of the many great films opening this weekend, and I do recommend it, in all it's visual awe.
June 3, 2013
That's a double-edged sword, though, because on the other hand it's a very good thing there's never NOT something going on at least visually in the world of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2", and those flourishes are more than enough to keep the whole thing together and afloat. This is the filmic version of playing with your food, albeit on an epic, "Jurassic Park"-level scale. Bigger doesn't always mean better, though, and a lot of the humanity of the first has here been forsaken. Essentially the way "The Dark Knight Rises" was more of a superhero movie than "The Dark Knight" "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" is a more traditional storybook kids film than the first "Cloudy". But the cool factor of this one comes with strings attached.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller, you are missed. In their hands "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2", like its predecessor, probably would have had the sarcastic wit that's trademarked all of their work. But so long as you can accept that "Cloudy 2", while an immediate continuation (eight minutes after the events of the first, apparently), is an entirely different movie, it's straight, silly, color-soaked fun. Not to sound condescending or highbrow. It's got that "Despicable Me 2" roundness where virtually every little thing that happens has to have a goofy reaction or lame joke made by one of the characters. Also, it isn't just a little sappy, and when it really piles on the sentiment the movie feels especially unearned and not so earnest.
That's a double-edged sword, though, because on the other hand it's a very good thing there's never NOT something going on at least visually in the world of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2", and those flourishes are more than enough to keep the whole thing together and afloat. This is the filmic version of playing with your food, albeit on an epic, "Jurassic Park"-level scale. Bigger doesn't always mean better, though, and a lot of the humanity of the first has here been forsaken. Essentially the way "The Dark Knight Rises" was more of a superhero movie than "The Dark Knight" "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" is a more traditional storybook kids film than the first "Cloudy". But the cool factor of this one comes with strings attached.
October 4, 2013
The villain is great, Steve Jo...er...Chester V is wonderfully energetic and fun. Everything else is disappointingly subpar from the original and the food puns, while clever in the original, are groan inducing.
February 14, 2013
Just as cute as the first. My imagination came up with names for the foodimals that weren't mentiond. How does Tyranno-Smorouse Rex sound? Have fun with this movie.
studiobe
March 6, 2013
Just as good as the first! Food puns galore, great colors/imagination, character design, and twisted story!
October 2, 2013
While there is nothing inherently wrong with the sequel I think they tried to hard to be like the original and went way too far over the top. I loved all of the craziness of the first movie but in this one there are large portions of the movie where I found myself bored. I feel like they could have done way better. The epic transformed island of Swallow Falls was breathtaking and the new food creatures were amazing but beyond that the story kind of stunk and the 3D was pointless. Its worth a watch but missed an opportunity for greatness.
timoncjm
January 2, 2013
It was a very funny, very creative and very entertaining animated family science fiction comedy adventure. It had amazing animation, really great voice cast, great music, lots of laughs, great adventure, action, great characters, very awesome visuals and a very interesting storyline. In my opinion, I really like this one better than the first one. I definitely recommend this movie to both kids and adults.
March 22, 2013
I absolutely loved the first film. I had high hopes this one would be just as good. Unfortunately it was not. A lot of the humor was puns. Which got a little old. It's not all bad, I did laugh a few times. But I found myself kind of bored threw most of the film. I was really hoping it would not seem like a cash grab by Sony, but in the end it's what it was. Capitalize on the surprise hit of 2009. Worth seeing, but wait till it's at your local redbox
September 29, 2013
Grade: B+
While all the kids are caught up in those minions, here is an animated film that caters to both adults and kids. The sequel picks up right where the first one ends, and the tone and humor haven't missed a beat. The story follows The Lost World blueprint, with our heroes going back to their hometown which is now an island of living, breathing food. The food puns and dry humor will go through most of the kids' heads, but I was laughing out loud at all the clever visual gags and in-jokes. The returning characters are all likable and funny and the story is more adventurous. The animation benefits from the 3D if you choose to watch it that way. Was it necessary to make a sequel? No, but it is one of the better animated sequels to come out this year.
Grade: B+
September 28, 2013
I didn't fully hate this movie, but it was pretty bad. The first one was better although I still didn't like the first one. Let me just tell you to not waste your time watching this movie. Go see something else.
September 27, 2013
Amazing animation, fantastic imagination, adorable as hell, hilarious, and constantly entertaining. Definitely better than the original in every way, despite the fact that the villain was made clear to the audience within the first 5 minutes of the film... There's also the fact that if you're not eating something while watching this movie, you'll likely starve.
dfrobison
September 27, 2013
We went into this movie with high expectations because we loved the first one. We have not been this disappointed in years. A movie with so much potential turned out to be a series of crude jokes focused on bodily functions. This should have stuck with number 1 because number 2 was disgusting...no pun intended.
