September 27, 2013
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is a 2013 American computer-animated science fiction comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The sequel to 2009's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, the film was directed by Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller returning as executive producers. Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Neil Patrick Harris, and Benjamin Bratt reprise their roles from the first film, while Will Forte, who voiced Joseph Towne in the first film, voices Chester V in this film. New cast members include Kristen Schaal as Chester's orangutan assistant, Barb, and Terry Crews as Earl Devereaux, replacing Mr. T. The film's plot focuses on Flint Lockwood and his friends returning to Swallow Falls to save the world after the presumed-destroyed FLDSMDFR reactivates, this time creating sentient food creatures.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 was released in the United States on September 27, 2013, and grossed over $274 million worldwide against its budget of $78 million. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, though it was deemed inferior to its predecessor.
Storyline[]
After scientist Flint Lockwood saved his island Chewandswallow from his invention, the "Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator" (aka the FLDSMDFR), Chester V, the CEO of "Live Corp" and Flint's childhood idol, offers his company's services to help clean the food off the island. He hires Flint, but during his short tenure at Live Corp, Flint enters a competition for a promotion, only to publicly humiliate himself by accident via an invention of his called a "Party in a Box", which prematurely goes off when he does not win.
Later on, Chester informs Flint that the 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 travel alone to the island, find the FLDSMDFR, and insert a USB flash drive-like device known as the "BS-USB" to shut it down. However, Flint takes his pet monkey Steve, his meteorologist girlfriend Sam Sparks, her cameraman Manny, police officer Earl Devereaux, and former mascot of Chewandswallow “Chicken” Brent McHale. Flint also grudgingly accepts the help of Tim, his widowed father, who takes them to the island using his fishing boat. When Chester learns that Flint is not alone, he and his much-abused orangutan assistant Barb gather some of their employees and follow.
While Tim stays on the boat and makes friends with some living pickles, 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 living strawberry Sam names "Barry". A Cheespider, the foodimal that attacked Chester's employees, chases Flint and the gang, but 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 what they have observed. Flint is too afraid of failure to listen, eventually leading Sam, Earl, Manny and Brent to strike out on their own. They re-encounter and befriend the Cheespider, discovering that it was only acting hostile toward 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 "evil" spelled backwards, they are then captured by Chester's employees when they attempt to go back and warn Flint.
Flint, Chester, and Barb track down the FLDSMDFR, but after meeting and befriending some living marshmallows it created, Flint defies Chester and refuses to use the BS-USB. However, Chester inadvertently inserts the device into the machine himself, revealing it to be a hacking device designed to reprogram it. With the FLDSMDFR now under his control, Chester disposes of Flint and starts capturing foodimals, intent on using them as the key ingredients for Live Corp's upcoming line of food bars, as he discovered that the FLDSMDFR's food tastes better than average food. The marshmallows rescue Flint and reunite him with Tim. The duo realize that, without the FLDSMDFR, the existing foodimals will die out. As Flint offers his condolences, he is surprised to discover that the foodimals, having watched archive footage of him creating the FLDSMDFR, revere him as their creator. Inspired, Flint vows to save the island.
Tim and the foodimals catapult Flint and Barry into the unfinished Live Corp base. Some captive foodimals are freed by Barry, and they help fight off the company's employees. Flint confronts Chester, who threatens to turn his friends into food bars as well. When Barb begins to show reluctance, Chester dismisses her and battles Flint alone. Flint uses his "Party in a Box" invention to beat him and frees his friends. Chester attempts to escape with the FLDSMDFR, and is pursued by the foodimals and Flint's group. Barb turns on Chester for his abuse and steals the machine back, while Chester is eaten by the Cheespider. Flint returns the FLDSMDFR to where it was found, frees it from Chester's control, and reconciles with his friends. 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 live and co-exist peacefully alongside the islanders.
Also See[]
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013) (TV Spots)
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
- Earl Scouts (2013)
- Super Manny (2013)
- Steve's First Bath (2014)
- Attack of the 50 Ft. Gummi Bear! (2014)
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The Series