The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Animation · Comedy · Family · 2009
Inventor Flint Lockwood creates a machine that makes clouds rain food, enabling the down-and-out citizens of Chewandswallow to feed themselves. But when the falling food reaches gargantuan proportions, Flint must scramble to avert disaster. Can he regain control of the machine and put an end to the wild weather before the town is destroyed?
Movie details
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
“Prepare to get served.”
2009 Animation · Comedy · Family 1h 30m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.7 / 10
Community rating
Inventor Flint Lockwood creates a machine that makes clouds rain food, enabling the down-and-out citizens of Chewandswallow to feed themselves. But when the falling food reaches gargantuan proportions, Flint must scramble to avert disaster. Can he regain control of the machine and put an end to the wild weather before the town is destroyed?
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
Animation · 2013
After the disastrous food storm in the first film, Flint and his friends are forced to leave the town. Flint accepts the invitation from his idol Chester V to join The Live Corp Company, which has been tasked to clean the island, and where the best inventors in the world create technologies for the betterment of mankind. When Flint discovers that his machine still operates and now creates mutant food beasts like living pickles, hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees and apple pie-thons, he and his friends must return to save the world.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Animation · 2021
Greg Heffley is a scrawny but ambitious kid with an active imagination and big plans to be rich and famous – he just has to survive middle school first.
Monster Family 2
Animation · 2021
To free Baba Yaga and Renfield from the clutches of Monster Hunter Mila Starr, the Wishbone Family once more transforms into a Vampire, Frankenstein's Monster, a Mummy and a Werewolf but when aided by their three pet bats, the Monster Family zooms around the world again to save their friends, make new monstrous acquaintances.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever
Animation · 2023
A hilarious and heartfelt holiday tale centered around everyone's favorite disaster-prone middle school student, Greg Heffley, which finds him desperately fighting to stay off Santa's naughty list as the family prepares for a major winter snowstorm.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
Animation · 2025
When laidback Greg finds himself at odds with his dad's outsized expectations, pressure builds to turn his act around. After a series of hilarious near disasters, Greg's dad presents him with an ultimatum that just might challenge his wimpy ways for good.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Animation · 2022
As a new school year begins, Greg is subject to relentless teasing from his brother Rodrick. Will Greg manage to get along with him? Or will a secret ruin everything?
Storks
Adventure · 2016
Storks deliver babies…or at least they used to. Now they deliver packages for a global internet retail giant. Junior, the company’s top delivery stork, is about to be promoted when he accidentally activates the Baby Making Machine, producing an adorable and wholly unauthorized baby girl...
Ooops! Noah Is Gone...
Animation · 2015
It's the end of the world. A flood is coming. Luckily for Dave and his son Finny, a couple of clumsy Nestrians, an Ark has been built to save all animals. But as it turns out, Nestrians aren't allowed. Sneaking on board with the involuntary help of Hazel and her daughter Leah, two Grymps, they think they're safe. Until the curious kids fall off the Ark. Now Finny and Leah struggle to survive the flood and hungry predators and attempt to reach the top of a mountain, while Dave and Hazel must put aside their differences, turn the Ark around and save their kids. It's definitely not going to be smooth sailing.
Peter Rabbit
Animation · 2018
Peter Rabbit's feud with Mr. McGregor escalates to greater heights than ever before as they rival for the affections of the warm-hearted animal lover who lives next door.
Cars Toon Mater's Tall Tales
Family · 2008
Mater the tow truck travels from country to country as he retells his infamous but unbelievable stories.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Phil Lord · Christopher Miller
Written by
Phil Lord · Christopher Miller · Rob Greenberg
Bill Hader
Flint Lockwood (voice)
Anna Faris
Sam Sparks (voice)
James Caan
Tim Lockwood (voice)
Andy Samberg
"Baby" Brent (voice)
Bruce Campbell
Mayor Shelbourne (voice)
Mr. T
Earl Devereaux (voice)
Bobb'e J. Thompson
Cal Devereaux (voice)
Court is in session
Put Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.