Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

Review By JESSICA ALMY

Don’t let the title put you off too much. “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is actually a decent animated flick. While there aren’t strong animal or environmental themes, vegetarians will be interested to know that this movie emphasizes eating in moderation — and that the meatballs in the title don’t actually come from animals.

Based on the book by Judi and Ron Barrett, this movie is one that is likely to appeal to a wide range of ages. We’ve seen it twice now. Kiddo loves the music and the fast pace, and I appreciate its emphasis on science and discovery, as well as the innocent love story between the protagonist, an inventor, and a meteorologist who’s trying to pass as a ditzy weather girl.

There are two animal issues that parents should be aware of. First, the inventor fits his monkey-companion Steve with a thought-translating device, which reveals that he doesn’t think about much more than food. Second, there is a scary scene in which genetically modified headless chicken carcasses come to life and attack people. It ends up being more silly than scary, but still ….

Veggie families might find that this film inspires some interesting conversation. Would you, for example, eat meat from a laboratory? Is genetic modification a good idea?

Ages 5 and up.