Cloudy with a chance of meatballs

FROM AS EARLY as last April, the forecast for this film was good: Inspired by a popular children’s book and offering sprinkles of encouraging early footage, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs promised at least 60 per cent chance of hilarity.

And yet, while Meatballs is quite agreeable overall, one can’t help feel that it fell just short of its potential.

When we first meet Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader), he’s a little boy with big ideas in a small town. From his childhood invention of spray-on shoes to a series of increasingly eccentric and unsuccessful creations, Flint is searching for the device that will make his name. Eventually he stumbles upon a formula that could change the world: a machine that generates food from water. Rather than solving world hunger problems, however, it hovers in the clouds and drops large portions of various meals only onto Lockwood’s hometown.

It’s the story of the century for budding weather reporter and potential love-interest Sam Sparks (Farris). But will food, fame and fortune befall Flint? Or will the food generator lose control?

For its first half, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is energetic and witty. The wish-fulfilment set pieces (including hamburger rain and a jelly house) are playful, and the animation and character rendering are colourful and appealing.

Oh, and doesn’t it have an eccentric voice cast? The voices of Superbad alumnus Hader, gifted comedienne Farris, grouchy legend James Caan, B-movie icon Bruce Campbell, former Doogie Howser Neil Patrick Harris and Mr T himself are all recognisable. That must have been one hell of a wrap party.

It’s a shame, so, that the film fumbles in its second half as plot and peril squeeze out the laughs, rendering Meatballs only half of a terrific film. With its peppering of great moments and a disappointing last course, the result of this recipe is neither gourmet dining nor orphanage gruel, but a reasonably appealing slice of animation for kids.