Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 - Review

Directors: Cody Cameron, Kris Pearn Studios: Sony Pictures Animation, Columbia Pictures Cast: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Benjamin Bratt, Terry Crews, Will Forte, Kristen Schaal Release Date (UK): 25 October 2013 Certificate: U Runtime: 95 min

Sony Pictures Animation sequelise their delightfully creative 2009 computer-animated sci-fi comedy hit about a young, spirited inventor who creates a machine that makes food pour from the sky. The talented voice cast, including Bill Hader and Anna Faris, return as the leftover edibles from Flint’s machine spring to life and take over the evacuated island of Swallow Falls. Alerted by Will Forte’s world-famous tech genius Chester V, Flint and his ragtag group of friends travel to Swallow Falls to stop the monstrous “foodimals” before they make their way to the mainland and take over the world — but are the foodimals really as ferocious as they seem, and is the devious-looking Chester telling the whole truth?

Replacing original directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn have a ton of pun-tastic fun in cooking up the hordes of living foodstuffs: shrimpanzees swing between the trees and jellyfish sandwiches swim in the sea while our cartoon heroes do battle with enormous, snarling cheese fighters (hamburger tarantulas with French fries for legs and sesame seeds for eyes). Returning supporting characters, specifically the machismo Officer Earl (Terry Crews) and Flint’s fishing enthusiast dad (James Caan), remain a delight, while Forte’s new villain — think of him as a maniacal, floppy-limbed Steve Jobs — is wickedly funny. Perhaps a follow-up was unnecessary (it's certainly not as good as Lord and Miller's first film, lacking its breezy simplicity and clear focus), but like its lively predecessor, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2” boasts a bouncy energy and a cheery spirit that help make it a scrumptious, if not entirely filling treat for all the family.

Rating: 6/10