Meaty Munchy Movies!
To lead into today's movie review, I have to throw in some background on what happened before that.
Basically, the New York Food Festival was this weekend, and my wonderful partner in crime HG got us tickets to go. This is because I love food, and where better to satisfy my gluttonous cravings than at a festival dedicated in its entirety to tasty morsels?
Two important facts to digest: first, make no mistake, there is a substantial amount of food involved at this event. So much so that even at my most omnivorous I have a hard time sampling every last tidbit that is offered. This does not stop me from trying, nor does it stop me from thinking "if I puke now, I'll have more room for the rest of the festival..." more than once. I do not take that drastic step, mostly because I want to see what incredible farts my gastrointestinal system will produce when the hodgepodge of comestibles finally blend within my belly.
Secondly, "Food Festival" is a gross misnomer. This really should be the "New York Alcohol Festival, With Some Food Thrown In To Keep You Moderately Sober". As we waited in line for our round, a large number of attendees were leaving in what could be described as not merely a state, but rather an entire country, of inebriation. And I am convinced that a good two-thirds of the display tables in the festival were devoted to wines and spirits. This also says something, if the remaining one-third of the tables were enough to fill my belly. Make no mistake; the festival is huge. And drinking most certainly did occur.
So, for the better part of three hours, HG and I explored every inch of the festival, tasting samples, picking up recipes, and drinking. This year we were smart and made sure to keep hydrated during the festival; last year we came out of there utterly tanked and completely wiped out. This year our stamina was of higher fare, and we decided to go to a movie to relax and recover. What better movie to choose after such a delicious outing, you might ask?
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
I was originally not completely interested in this film. I had not heard of the book upon which it is based; the animation studio was neither Pixar nor Dreamworks, and the previews did not really convey a good sense of the kind of movie it was going to be. Even fancy words like "now in IMAX 3D", which usually are enough to give me the green light, were not a full draw. Word of mouth reports, however, were surprisingly positive, and the unexpected presence of Mr. T in the cast pushed me over the edge. And so, even with a few misgivings, I decided to give it a run.
It turns out my misgivings were quite misgiven.
This movie was funny. I laughed out loud, multiple times. It was genuinely good silly fun. Cliched? Sure, but really, what isn't nowadays? In the end, I admit I was wrong, and I would even see this again.
The plot: Food. This movie is an all-you-can-eat buffet of food. And sardines, which are on the very outskirts of things to be labeled "food".
The pros: Humor, and lots of it. From a plethora of food puns to some outrageous sight gags (among them a ballroom and mansion made of jello) to the fool-pitying power of Mr. T to a monkey rigged with a speech synthesizer, the humor is everywhere, and you're bound to find something to amuse you at some point. Emphasizing this humor is a great voice cast, with some minor names in lead roles, but with the supporting characters fully realized by Mr. T, Bruce Campbell, James Caan, Benjamin Bratt, and "Doogie Howser" himself as Steve The Monkey. Full credit has to be given to Doogie for making Steve the unexpected highlight of the film in his few spoken lines.
The cons: Sure, the story is cliched. Fame makes you crazy; greed brings about ruin; gluttony is a bad idea. Nothing that hasn't been seen or done before, in many other animated films. The 3D is nothing special, not always taking full advantage of its potential, and really coming out strongest in the closing credits. I hear the movie is different from the book, and, well, like that's never happened before. I don't think that's really a strike against it, considering how much fun the movie actually is.
The verdict: Yes, go see it. If you want, you can wait until it hits the video store. But it was fun, and funny, no matter how old you are.
Disclaimer: Steve the Monkey battling a team of giant sentient Gummi Bears on the wing of an airplane easily wins the biggest "WHAT THE HELL?" award for this film. In addition to being somewhat creepy.
Disclaimer: Not totally creepy though; that goes to the guy in the swimming pool made of Nacho Cheese.
Disclaimer: Bruce Campbell as the Clintonesque mayor and Andy Samberg as "Baby" Brent are pretty high up there as well on a scale of one to Yeeeeech.
Note: The most important moral to remember, though, is that "sardines are super gross."
Basically, the New York Food Festival was this weekend, and my wonderful partner in crime HG got us tickets to go. This is because I love food, and where better to satisfy my gluttonous cravings than at a festival dedicated in its entirety to tasty morsels?
Two important facts to digest: first, make no mistake, there is a substantial amount of food involved at this event. So much so that even at my most omnivorous I have a hard time sampling every last tidbit that is offered. This does not stop me from trying, nor does it stop me from thinking "if I puke now, I'll have more room for the rest of the festival..." more than once. I do not take that drastic step, mostly because I want to see what incredible farts my gastrointestinal system will produce when the hodgepodge of comestibles finally blend within my belly.
Secondly, "Food Festival" is a gross misnomer. This really should be the "New York Alcohol Festival, With Some Food Thrown In To Keep You Moderately Sober". As we waited in line for our round, a large number of attendees were leaving in what could be described as not merely a state, but rather an entire country, of inebriation. And I am convinced that a good two-thirds of the display tables in the festival were devoted to wines and spirits. This also says something, if the remaining one-third of the tables were enough to fill my belly. Make no mistake; the festival is huge. And drinking most certainly did occur.
So, for the better part of three hours, HG and I explored every inch of the festival, tasting samples, picking up recipes, and drinking. This year we were smart and made sure to keep hydrated during the festival; last year we came out of there utterly tanked and completely wiped out. This year our stamina was of higher fare, and we decided to go to a movie to relax and recover. What better movie to choose after such a delicious outing, you might ask?
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
I was originally not completely interested in this film. I had not heard of the book upon which it is based; the animation studio was neither Pixar nor Dreamworks, and the previews did not really convey a good sense of the kind of movie it was going to be. Even fancy words like "now in IMAX 3D", which usually are enough to give me the green light, were not a full draw. Word of mouth reports, however, were surprisingly positive, and the unexpected presence of Mr. T in the cast pushed me over the edge. And so, even with a few misgivings, I decided to give it a run.
It turns out my misgivings were quite misgiven.
This movie was funny. I laughed out loud, multiple times. It was genuinely good silly fun. Cliched? Sure, but really, what isn't nowadays? In the end, I admit I was wrong, and I would even see this again.
The plot: Food. This movie is an all-you-can-eat buffet of food. And sardines, which are on the very outskirts of things to be labeled "food".
The pros: Humor, and lots of it. From a plethora of food puns to some outrageous sight gags (among them a ballroom and mansion made of jello) to the fool-pitying power of Mr. T to a monkey rigged with a speech synthesizer, the humor is everywhere, and you're bound to find something to amuse you at some point. Emphasizing this humor is a great voice cast, with some minor names in lead roles, but with the supporting characters fully realized by Mr. T, Bruce Campbell, James Caan, Benjamin Bratt, and "Doogie Howser" himself as Steve The Monkey. Full credit has to be given to Doogie for making Steve the unexpected highlight of the film in his few spoken lines.
The cons: Sure, the story is cliched. Fame makes you crazy; greed brings about ruin; gluttony is a bad idea. Nothing that hasn't been seen or done before, in many other animated films. The 3D is nothing special, not always taking full advantage of its potential, and really coming out strongest in the closing credits. I hear the movie is different from the book, and, well, like that's never happened before. I don't think that's really a strike against it, considering how much fun the movie actually is.
The verdict: Yes, go see it. If you want, you can wait until it hits the video store. But it was fun, and funny, no matter how old you are.
Disclaimer: Steve the Monkey battling a team of giant sentient Gummi Bears on the wing of an airplane easily wins the biggest "WHAT THE HELL?" award for this film. In addition to being somewhat creepy.
Disclaimer: Not totally creepy though; that goes to the guy in the swimming pool made of Nacho Cheese.
Disclaimer: Bruce Campbell as the Clintonesque mayor and Andy Samberg as "Baby" Brent are pretty high up there as well on a scale of one to Yeeeeech.
Note: The most important moral to remember, though, is that "sardines are super gross."