Poster Art for "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs."

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Avg. Critic Score: 66 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
6 OK for kids 6+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 80
    Washington Post |

    Any moviegoers possessed of funny bones will laugh their fool heads off at Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    A surprisingly savory treat, though it doesn't bear much resemblance to the charming classic children's book on which it's based. Read full review

  • 70
    The Hollywood Reporter |

    The splashy animation is well-executed but again a bit monotonous for a full-length feature. Read full review

  • 70
    Los Angeles Times |

    The movie's humor targets both kids and grown-ups with equal success, but, even with the presence of a mustache-fixated monkey, the main attraction here is the movie's vibrant 3-D animation and its perfect storm of foodie-friendly sight gags. Read full review

  • 70
    Variety |

    Eye-popping and mouth-watering in one, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs spins a 30-page children's book into a 90-minute all-you-can-laugh buffet. Read full review

  • 67
    Entertainment Weekly |

    Goes down easy enough at first. But even at a svelte 81 minutes, this meal drags on too long. Read full review

  • 63
    Boston Globe |

    It's not especially filling, but it leaves a pleasant aftertaste. Read full review

  • 63
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    There is clear definition between closer and further elements. I've seen a lot of 3-D recently, and in terms of technical quality, this is the best. Read full review

  • 60
    The New York Times |

    If the filmmakers opt to make only light statements about junk food, obesity and solid waste, they at least leave the audience sated on a single serving of inspired lunacy. Read full review

  • 25
    San Francisco Chronicle |

    A dead-serious piece of activist filmmaking. Read full review

View more reviews for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 6+ Age-appropriate 3-D food adventure doesn't fully satisfy.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this adaptation of the classic children's book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is bound to attract the 10-and-under set. While there's nothing overtly age-inappropriate in the movie, expect a bit of salty language along the lines of "hell" and and the occasional mild insult like "stupid" or "knuckle scrapers." The few tense/slightly scary scenes are weather- and giant food-related -- which could upset little kids who are sensitive to fears about natural disasters -- and there's a brewing romance between the main character and a weather reporter. Although no grand life lessons are offered, the movie does center on a son's need for fatherly encouragement and the idea that you shouldn't compromise who you are just to be popular. The movie's plot is very different than the book's, so anyone expecting a straight adaptation will be disappointed.
  • Families can talk about the movie's message about compromising yourself for the sake of popularity. Is that ever worth it? How does Sam change once she knows that Flint likes that she's actually smart?
  • How does the movie portray technology? When does the experiment go wrong?
  • Why does Flint want his father's approval so badly? Does his father have a point in discouraging Flint's inventions?
The good stuff
  • educationalvalue true1 Educational value: Not much, unless you consider the movie as some sort of lesson about not eating genetically modified food.
  • message true3 Positive messages: The messages in this movie aren't hit-you-over-the-head obvious, but kids who watch may take away positive ideas about being liked for who you really are and not having to change your appearance just to be cool. There's also a recurring theme about parents needing to have faith in their children, as well as negative consequences for unchecked greed.
  • rolemodels true2 Positive role models: Flint shows Sam that she's beautiful even when she's "nerdy" and that she shouldn't dumb herself down for anyone. Flint's father learns to be supportive.
What to watch for
  • violence false2 Violence and scariness: A hurricane of food threatens to destroy Chew and Swallow, as well as other major cities around the world. Characters are in danger/peril due to enormous falling food -- and other food mutations (including somewhat creepy headless chickens). The "rat birds" are humorously creepy and pop up again and again -- in one case, a rat bird snatches up the "world's biggest sardine."
  • sex false1 Sexy stuff: Sam and Flint flirt with each other on several occasions, and in one sequence it's clear that Flint is "pursuing" Sam to be his girlfriend. After almost kissing a couple of times, they finally do kiss.
  • language false1 Language: Mild insults and language include "hell hole," "knuckle scrapers," "crazy jerk," "stupid," etc.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false0 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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