2013, Columbia Pictures
Animation
Rating: PG
Approx. 94 mins.
THE STORY:
Everything seems to be going ideally for Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) since he saved his town from the giant food-weather phenomena he originally created: he has the opportunity to do his work, he and fellow scientist Sam Sparks (Anna Faris) have a blossoming romance, and his inventor hero, Chester V (Will Forte), has enlisted him to join his team.
When it comes to light that mutant animated food is running wild in Flint's hometown of Swallow Falls, Chester V sends Flint to find and destroy the food altering machine that had caused so much trouble not that long ago. Although he is supposed to go alone, Flint takes along an entourage of friends. Flint soon discovers that the scary animal-food (shrimpanzees, etc.) is not so scary after all, and that his hero is not the man Flint thought he was. Rather than destroying the 'foodimals' as Chester wants, Flint realises they are benign and fights to protect them.
When it comes to light that mutant animated food is running wild in Flint's hometown of Swallow Falls, Chester V sends Flint to find and destroy the food altering machine that had caused so much trouble not that long ago. Although he is supposed to go alone, Flint takes along an entourage of friends. Flint soon discovers that the scary animal-food (shrimpanzees, etc.) is not so scary after all, and that his hero is not the man Flint thought he was. Rather than destroying the 'foodimals' as Chester wants, Flint realises they are benign and fights to protect them.
QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:
- stupid
VIOLENCE:
- some menace, but no violence
- the threatening animated food turn out to be non-malicious
TEACHING POINTS:
- don't judge based on what you think you see-- take the time to examine and make informed judgments
- if something feels wrong, it probably is
THE UPSHOT:
I liked the first installment in the series and wanted to like this one. It has humour and irony and good voice work and a creative, relevant story line. But... something is just missing. I think part of the problem is that I don't care enough about the characters to become truly invested in the drama.
The 5 year-old in the room loved the goofiness of the hybridized animated food. The adult in the room liked the lack of menace in what could have been violent scenes, but thought the suggestion that heroes are not necessarily the people we expect them to be was a little sad for a kids' movie. I am generally a huge fan of realism, but it seemed a little cynical for a 5 year-old who is just in the process of developing heroes.
The 5 year-old in the room loved the goofiness of the hybridized animated food. The adult in the room liked the lack of menace in what could have been violent scenes, but thought the suggestion that heroes are not necessarily the people we expect them to be was a little sad for a kids' movie. I am generally a huge fan of realism, but it seemed a little cynical for a 5 year-old who is just in the process of developing heroes.
3/5
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