There are movies that are technically better than Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. There are movies far more historically and cinematically important than Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. But there are very few movies that so totally encapsulate the classically collegiate pleasure of sitting around a friend’s apartment, drinking rums and Coke, riffing and laughing hysterically quite like Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
Quasi-adapted from the seminal children’s lit classic, Cloudy tells the story of Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader, late of Saturday Night Live), a hapless inventor trying to impress his gruff single father. Before long, Flint creates a machine that drastically changes global weather patterns, causing food to fall from the sky.
And as the burgers and ice cream rain in abundance, so do the jokes: Though ostensibly a kids’ movie, Cloudy is bursting with absurdist wit, relentlessly clever visual non sequiturs and more food puns than legally should be allowed by the Food and Drug Administration, all delivered by a deeply stacked roster of voice talent (Andy Samberg! Anna Faris! Mr. T! Al Roker! Will Forte! Neil Patrick Harris as a talking monkey!).
Though it could easily serve as a crash course in postmodern humor and animated filmmaking, Cloudy is, above all, deeply silly and utterly unpretentious, a joyous celebration of all that movies can be — quick-witted, imaginative and fun.
So gather with your cleverest friends, make up some drinking game rules (hint: make use of the bearded man), and do what college is for: Have fun.
[ READ MORE: LIST: Movies you need to see before graduating ]
