Sony Pictures – Movie Madness

Movie Madness: Week 11

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Netflix, 2009)

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was originally based on the book written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett. Though the plot was loosely referenced for the making of this film, a characteristic that made it stand out after a decade of animation is the rubberhose movement and extremely over-the-top expressions. This was a big leap after Sony Picture’s last film: Monster House. Pairing these elements to a beloved story we all heard before bedtime, Sony Picture’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was a hit. Making 243 million dollars and was “Certified Fresh” rating of 86% on rotten tomatoes. though its audience has grown up since its 2009 release it has made a resurgence over the years on the internet. This speaks volumes about the film’s animation, story, and overall influence on pop culture. If you are feeling nostalgic, or even a little hungry, give this movie a watch.

Movie Madness: Week Six

Monster House is a movie I’m sure we all vaguely remember. From the scary story of a possessed house to the awkwardly stylistic visuals; Monster House leaves an impression on its viewers. Despite its weird renders of 3D characters, the story stands out from the rest of what Sony Pictures has produced. A suspenseful movie for kids is not something that hasn’t really been done in the states since the early 2000s (with the exception of Paranorman). However, the animation in the movie falls flat. Whenever you see characters run there’s not as much weight or sure speed defined. The energy behind the character’s actions seemed lifeless and not snappy enough to fool the eye. The facial expressions are also a bit questionable. The faces expressed between characters didn’t seem to fully sell the interaction. I understand that the style of the film doesn’t fully lean into the cartoonish expressions we are used to. However, I think they could’ve gotten away with a bit more exaggeration. Despite its faults in clunky animation, the voice actors, character dynamics, and overall story really save it. If you’re a person who likes suspense and a fondness for something that looks like a hybrid of claymation and 3D- this is a movie for you.

Final Thoughts

What did you think of the visual style for this movie?

Cam

The movement matched with the animation style was really weird and a little unsettling. That being said, I still found it to be overall funny

Eric

Visually, the movie isn’t that appealing and can be very weird, however the sheer amount of comedic value that the animation style adds is very good, if you want to make fun of a movie.

Lauren

Personally, I don’t really enjoy this movie a lot due to the weird visual styles of the characters. The hair seems especially jarring.