| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by |
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| Based on | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs andPickles to Pittsburgh byJudi Barrett Ron Barrett |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Edited by | Robert Fisher, Jr.[3] |
| Music by | Mark Mothersbaugh[4] |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing[6] |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes[7] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $78 million[8] |
| Box office | $274.3 million[8] |
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is a 2013 American animatedscience fiction comedy film produced byColumbia Pictures andSony Pictures Animation. It was directed byCody Cameron andKris Pearn and written byErica Rivinoja,John Francis Daley andJonathan Goldstein.Bill Hader,Anna Faris,James Caan,Andy Samberg,Benjamin Bratt,Neil Patrick Harris andWill Forte return fromthe first film, withTerry Crews andKristen Schaal joining the cast. The film's plot focuses on Flint Lockwood and his friends returning to Swallow Falls to save the world after the presumed-destroyed Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator resurfaces, this time creating sentient food creatures.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 was released in the United States on September 27, 2013, bySony Pictures Releasing and was a box office success, grossing $274 million worldwide against a budget of $78 million. Like the first film, it received generally positive reviews from critics, although it was deemed inferior to its predecessor.
Shortly after Flint Lockwood saved the world from the FLDSMDFR,[b] Chester V, the CEO of Live Corp and Flint's childhood idol, offers his company's services to help clean up the island, while temporarily relocating Swallow Falls' populace to San Franjose, California. Chester hires Flint to work at Live Corp and he strives to receive a promotion, but inadvertently publicly humiliates himself six months later when his "Celebrationator" invention goes off as the promotion is being given to another employee.
Chester later informs Flint that the seemingly-destroyed FLDSMDFR is still functioning and creating sentient food creatures known as "Foodimals", one of which attacked his employees stationed on Swallow Falls. Chester tells Flint that he needs to personally travel to the island, find the FLDSMDFR and insert aUSB flash drive-like device known as the "BS-USB" to shut it down. Flint takes his pet monkey Steve, his meteorologist girlfriend Sam Sparks, her cameraman Manny, police officer Earl Devereaux and former Swallow Falls mascot "Chicken" Brent McHale. Flint also reluctantly accepts the help of his widowed father Tim, who takes them to the island using his fishing boat. When Chester learns that Flint is not alone, he and his much-abusedorangutan assistant Barb gather some of their employees and follow.
While Tim stays on the boat and befriends some livingpickles, Flint and his friends work their way through the jungle-like environment of food that now completely covers the island. They encounter many foodimals, including a livingstrawberry Sam dubs "Barry". A Cheespider, the foodimal that attacked Chester's employees, chases the group before Chester arrives, scaring it off and joining the mission. Sam becomes suspicious of Chester's motives, as his claims about the foodimals being dangerous do not align with her observations. Flint is too afraid of failure to listen, eventually leading Sam and the others to go off on their own. They re-encounter and befriend the Cheespider, discovering that it was only acting hostile towards people wearing Live Corp gear. When the group deduces that the foodimals have realized something sinister about the company, as the "live" part of its name is simply "evil" spelled backwards, they attempt to warn Flint, but are captured by Chester's employees.
Flint, Chester and Barb track down the FLDSMDFR. Flint watches it create sentientmarshmallows, who immediately befriend him, and realizes Sam was right. He defies Chester and refuses to shut down the FLDSMDFR, but he personally inserts the BS-USB, now revealed to be a reprogramming device, into the machine. With the FLDSMDFR now under his control, Chester disposes of Flint and starts capturing foodimals, planning to use them as the key ingredients for Live Corp's upcoming line of food bars. The marshmallows rescue Flint and reunite him with Tim and Barry where Flint explains to his father about Chester's plot while also feeling guilty for his mistakes. The Lockwoods realize that, without the FLDSMDFR, the entire ecosystem will die out. As Flint offers his condolences, he discovers that the foodimals, having watched archived footage of the FLDSMDFR's creation, revere him as their creator. An inspired Flint vows to save the island.
Tim and the foodimals catapult Flint and Barry into the Live Corp base on the island. Barry frees many captive foodimals, who battle the company's employees, while Flint confronts Chester, who threatens to make food bars out of his friends as well. When Barb begins showing reluctance, Chester furiously dismisses her and battles Flint alone as he uses his Celebrationator to defeat him and ensure his friends' safety. Chester attempts to escape with the FLDSMDFR, but the group and their allies, including Barb, who has finally had enough of her superior's abuse, intercept him and reclaim the machine as Chester is then swallowed whole by the Cheespider.
The next day, Flint returns the FLDSMDFR to where it was found, frees it from Chester's control and reconciles with his friends, with Barb joining the group. The residents of Swallow Falls return to their proper homes, adapting to the altered ecosystem and happily continuing their lives. The FLDSMDFR continues creating foodimals, which coexist peacefully with the islanders.
The sequel was announced on April 12, 2010, when websiteio9 reported that the original film's directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, would not return for the sequel.[12] In December 2011, it was reported thatCody Cameron, one of the story artists on the first film, andKris Pearn, the head of story on the first, would direct the sequel, with Lord and Miller serving as executive producers.John Francis Daley,Jonathan Goldstein, andErica Rivinoja[2] wrote the screenplay, which is based on an original story idea, not onPickles to Pittsburgh,Ron andJudi Barrett's follow-up book.[13] In February 2012, it was announced that the sequel would be titledCloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers,[14] but it was later retitled toCloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.[15]
Bill Hader,Anna Faris,James Caan,Andy Samberg,Neil Patrick Harris, andBenjamin Bratt reprised their roles.[2] The role of Earl, the town cop, was taken over byTerry Crews, sinceMr. T declined to reprise the role.[9]Kristen Schaal joined the cast to voice Barb, a talking and lipstick-wearing orangutan with a human brain.[10]Will Forte, who voiced Joseph Towne in the first film, voices Chester V, a world-famous super-inventor who commands Barb and is the head of the Live Corp Company.[9] On January 17, 2013, concept art from the film was released.[16]
The music was composed byMark Mothersbaugh.[4]Cody Simpson provided a single, from his albumSurfers Paradise "La Da Dee", which was played at the film's end credits. Simpson also performed in a music video that incorporated footage from the film.[1]Paul McCartney's single, "New", from his2013 album, was featured in the film.[17]
In the Japanese release, the bandTEMPURA KIDZ provides a song "Tabechaitaino" and voices a Marshmallow.[18]
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 was initially scheduled for release on December 20, 2013, but was pushed back to February 7, 2014,[20] before it was later moved up to September 27, 2013.[21]
In promotional events before the film's release, Sony Pictures Animation partnered with some produce companies to provide more than 200,000 pounds (91 tonnes) of produce forFeeding America's action to help children and families in need. Several food-packing events across the country were organized, with Anna Faris and Will Forte attending the main one in Los Angeles.[22] Sony teamed up with marketing partners in the United States to promote the film throughSubway Kids Meals with a set of 6 customized bags.[23]
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 was released onDVD andBlu-ray on January 28, 2014.[24] The home media was accompanied by a quartet of animated shorts based on the main feature:Super Manny,Earl Scouts,Steve's First Bath, andAttack of the 50-Foot Gummi Bear.[24] Two of the shorts,Super Manny andEarl Scouts, were already released online before the media release, premiering in October 2013 onUnivision[25][26][27] andFandango,[28][29][30] respectively.David Feiss directed all four shorts,[31] which feature a computer-generated wraparound animation and a hand-drawn animation, provided bySix Point Harness.[32]
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 grossed $119.8 million in North America, and $154.5 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $274.3 million.[8] Its budget was reported at $78 million.[8]
In North America, the film earned $9.3 million on its opening day,[33] and opened to number one in its first weekend, with $34 million.[34][35] In its second weekend, the film dropped to number two, grossing an additional $21 million.[36] In its third weekend, the film dropped to number three, grossing $13.8 million.[37] In its fourth weekend, the film dropped to number five, grossing $9.7 million[38]
On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 72%, based on 123 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The site's consensus reads: "While not as clever or inventive as its predecessor,Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 compensates with enough dazzling visuals to keep younger viewers entertained."[39]Metacritic, gave the film a score of 59 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[40] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A−", the same as the first film.[41]
Michael Rechtshaffen ofThe Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, saying "While not as delightfully breezy as the original, an engaging voice cast and hordes of 'Foodimals' still manage to serve up a tasty sequel."[42] Linda Barnard of theToronto Star called it "fun, even if it is occasionally so chaotic it tramples the movie's flow like a herd of stampeding Buffaloafs."[43] Michael Phillips of theChicago Tribune thought it "better in every respect than the original film. It's also more fun than all threeIce Age,Monsters University,Planes,Epic,Despicable Me 2, and though I could go on, I won't."[44] Jordan Hoffman of theNew York Daily News gave the film four out of five stars, saying "Cloudy 2 is loud, weird and chaotic—just as kids like it. ... sometimes it's good to have a sugary treat."[45] Dave McGinn ofThe Globe and Mail felt it "promises more fun and laughs than it delivers, and this meal tastes like too many that have gone before it."[46] Bill Goodykoontz ofThe Arizona Republic reviewed it as "the raresequel that takes the spirit of the original and runs with it, coming up with something uniquely good in its own right."[47]
In a lukewarm review, Tim Robey ofThe Daily Telegraph said "For all its properly surreal mayhem, this flick isn't quite as nimble or emotionally rounded as its predecessor."[48] Sean O'Connell ofThe Washington Post wrote "Kids will chuckle, for sure. But parents who were pleasantly surprised by the original film's intelligence will miss Lord and Miller's guiding hands, as what once felt so funny now leaves a stale taste."[49] Rafer Guzman ofNewsday thought it "relies on the usual noxious recipe for junky kid flicks: loud noise, pop music and poop jokes."[50] Miriam Bale ofThe New York Times felt it was "sometimes so strange, colorful and wildly cute that it may end up becoming aYellow Submarine for a new generation."[51] Tom Russo ofThe Boston Globe gave the film two out of four stars, saying "It's another brightly rendered effort, but, as the title indicates, a lot of the real creativity seems to have been used up the first time around."[52] Mike Clark ofUSA Today gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "There's not a surprise or moment of tension to be found here, but the film is all energy and color that makes the discomfort of 3-D glasses seem worth it."[53]
Jocelyn Noveck of theAssociated Press thought the film worked for its audience: "this is a kid movie, and KIDS LOVE PUNS. So they laugh at 'There's a leek in the boat.' And they laugh even more the second time."[54] A. A. Dowd ofThe A.V. Club gave the film a C, saying "Like too many sequels, this second helping of Meatballs confuses bigger for better, piling on the action but misplacing much of the original's charm."[55] David Hiltbrand ofThe Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film three out of four stars, saying "This scrumptious sequel follows the same recipe as the 2009 original."[56] Peter Hartlaub of theSan Francisco Chronicle called it "a humorous yet unfocused romp, so unwilling to settle on a single theme that hyperactivity medication should be handed out with the 3-D glasses."[57] Matt Patches ofFilm.com wrote, "The 2009 original separated itself from the Pixar and Dreamworks competition with a joke-first approach. The sequel quadruples the recipe, with gags on top of gags on top of gags in a way only animation could achieve. Like a foodieJurassic Park conjured up byTex Avery,Cloudy 2 is a sight to behold … as long as your brain hasn't turned to mush by the halfway point."[58]
Amy Nicholson ofThe Village Voice compared the franchise to "The Muppets andPee-wee's Playhouse, kids' shows that ripen as their audience matures."[59] Keith Staskiewicz ofEntertainment Weekly called it "charming enough."[60] Steve Davis ofThe Austin Chronicle gave the film two out of five stars, saying "For both kids and adults,CWCM2 is little more than a vague memory as soon as it's over."[61] Peter Debruge ofVariety opined, "the pic's zany tone and manic pace are good for a quick-hit sugar high."[3] Betsy Sharkey of theLos Angeles Times gave the film three and a half stars out of five, saying "Honestly, anyone who can pull off a running joke about leeks that does not make you gag, and is in fact a silly delight, deserves props."[62] Bill Zwecker of theChicago Sun-Times wrote, "Unlike so many sequels, this fun-filled 3D adventure is sure to entertain younger kids but also charm the adults".[63]
| Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kids' Choice Awards[64] | Favorite Animated Movie | Nominated | |
| Satellite Awards[65] | Best Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media | Nominated | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards[66] | Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture | Peter Nash, Michael Ford, Chris Juen, Mandy Tankenson | Nominated |
| Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture | Andrew Hofman, Alex Moaveni | Nominated | |
| British Academy Children's Awards[67] | BAFTA Kid's Vote - Film in 2014 | Nominated |
A video game titledCloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, published by GameMill Entertainment, was released on September 24, 2013, forNintendo DS andNintendo 3DS.[68] Its gameplay mechanic is similar toFruit Ninja.
A freemobile game titledCloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2: Foodimal Frenzy was developed byPlayFirst and released for bothiOS andAndroid devices.[69] The game was removed from the App Store in 2015 and is no longer available to download.
A downloadable app titledFoodimal Funimal was released for free by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on iOS and Android mobile devices on August 20, 2013.
A day after the film's release, Cody Cameron discussed the possibility of a third film, saying "I don't know that will happen, we're going to have to see what it does on September 27th, I definitely think we've set up enough character, basically enough stuff in the second film that we can branch off and do multiple stories for a third film – but you know it's kind of hard to think about that right now."[70]
In September 2023, Phil Lord stated that a script was completed for a third installment before the2023 Writers Guild of America strike, entitledPlanet of the Grapes, which was a direct reference to the recently released film,Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.[71]
Both installments received an average grade of A-, according to market research firm CinemaScore.
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