Every Endeavor is Worthy

['Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' Movie]

The film is an amazing American computer-animated family comedy produced by Sony Pictures Animation in 2009. Its inspiration was based on children’s book on the same title that was first published in 1978 and was written and illustrated by Judi-Ron Barrett. Watching the whole film, it tells us about the optimistic of Flint Lockwood (the main protagonist character) in inventing many things that, he thinks, will be helpful for people. His source spirit was his mother’s utterances before passing away, “The world needs your originality, Flint. You just have to grow into it and I know that you’re gonna do big things someday.” The fact is, his inventions are all ended in disaster. His father (Tim Lockwood) has many times warned him to end all his weird activities but Flint still keeps on inventing. All in all, Flint just wants to make his father proud of him.

The story plot is started in a town called Swallow Falls located on a tiny island hidden under the “A” in “Atlantic” on the world map. In the real life, it is the location of Bermuda Island. The town was well-known of its sardines’ products before the issue which claimed that sardines are super gross and are improper to be consumed. Because of the issue, there is no other city or country that wants to import sardines anymore. After the unpleasant issue, the town suffers an economic downturn after the demand for sardines. Stuck with the sardines supply, Swallow Falls becomes the only one city in which sardines are still the staple food.

Based on the difficult situation, Flint worked hard to change the image of his beloved city by creating a machine. He, finally, creates his latest invention called FLDSMDFR (Flint Lockwood’s Diatomic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator) which mutates water molecules into food. At the first, the machines did not work properly and upset the grand-opening of Sardines Park launched by Mayor Shelbourne. Then all people realize that there is a changing weather in their town. Yes, it is the food rains. It sometimes hamburger rains, meat rains, and ice cream snow. All people attention is centralized to Swallow Falls. Even, one of the television channels places its new reporter (Sam Sparks) to be the forecast lady in the island and, later, become Flint’s interest.

Taking the chance, the greedy and gluttonous Mayor Shelbourne convinces Flint to rain food three meals a day for a month which will turn Swallow Falls into a new tourist attraction called "Chewandswallow." Swallow Falls’ people keep ordering the desirable food to Flint. Absolutely, Flint is happy to serve all the orders because he thinks that it is the only chance to give a pride to his father and to show his father that he is really beneficial for the society. He does not realize that all the orders will give bad impact to the machine which is located on the sky.

In a due day, the grand-opening of Chewandswallow, thousands tourists from all over the world come and want to experience eating certain food from the  food rains directly. Sam warns Flint that the storm food will hit the town soon but he does not care at all. Flint keeps convincing her that everything will be alright because he will take the responsibility. After Flint cut the ribbon of Chewandswallow’s launching, a spaghetti tornado hits the half town. Flint, then, returns to his laboratory to send the kill code to the FLDSMDFR. Mayor Shelbourne tries more and more to convince Flint to keep on working the machine. Even, Mayor Shelbourne destroys the communication devices for the machine. Trying to get another idea, Flint redesigns the flying car that will be used to fly to the FLDSMDFR and kill it in the center of the machine.

Accompanying by Manny (cameraman and co-pilot), Sam, Brent (sardines icon), and Flint’s monkey, Flint flies to the FLDSMDFR. There, they find that all food have changed into mutant (those food can move and kill). After fighting against the mutant food, Flint succeeds entering the kill code. The machine finally stops producing the raining food. Although, people of Swallow Falls still blame Flint because of the damage emerged by his invention, they then realize that Flint does not the only one causer of the tragedy. In the end of the story, Flint’s father utters his pride and love by using the machine which can translate heart and mind’s whisper. Flint finally gets his father’s admission which is always dreamed by him.

This film shows us how worthy our every endeavor is. There will not be something meaningless if we try our best to make the dream comes true. The character of Flint describes the optimistic and the most powerful personality which has to be owned by all people. Flint’s characters also describes that we can do anything if we think we can and never let others’ scolding down our spirit. Not only that, Flint careless warns us that we have to pay attention and to be careful in every step and decision we made.

Many critics view positive to this animated film. They appraise that Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a smart and wonderful film. Its 3-D effect is appraised amazing and full of witty sight gags. Four awards of Annie Award given to this film for Best Animated Feature, Animated Effects, Directing in a Feature Production, and Writing in a Feature Production. It also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature.

I highly recommend this film for those who want to get the spirit in studying. The film is suitable to be watched together with our friends or roommates. For English learners, I suggest that you watch this film without seeing the subtitle because it is helpful to improve your listening skill and also your understanding.

*Published on KanZart Magazine 2011 [self-reviewed]

Based on	Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi and Ron Barrett (a children’s book)
Directed and Written by	Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Music by	Mark Mothersbaugh
Studio	Sony Pictures Animation
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release Date	September 18, 2009