I have never read the book, and at this point in time I have no plans to. Does that make me a bad person? Perhaps. I know that I should read more than I do. I used to read all the time, but that was way back in the days of youth, before the Internet and little computers you can carry around, not to mention before my addiction to movies, music, and television really kicked in. Sure, my brain may be turning into a meatball, but hey, its what I do!
In any case, I initially did not have a lot of interest in this movie. It is not that I thought it looked bad, or expected it to be bad, I was just looking to cut corners and this looked like a candidate for a movie that could be skipped. Then something changed. After its first weekend, the reviews came back generally positive, plus the word of mouth was quite positive, with many adults suggesting they liked it more than their kids. With all of this, how could I deny it its time? Besides, I had also learned that the local theater would be losing their 3D print next week with the arrival of the Toy Story 3D double feature. So, off I went, to see if the positive buzz was indeed the truth.
I am happy to report that while this is no Pixar film, it exceeded my expectations and proved to be rewarding time at the theater. The animation proved to be a bit above average, although it was plagued with some uninspired character and background design, but generally speaking, it is nicely rendered and a step above your average Ice Age movie. What really steps this up above your typical animated fare is the writing. That's right, the writing, and maybe a little bit of the 3D effect (although that is not entirely necessary).
The story is set on a small fishing island out in the Atlantic. They a happy community that takes a sad turn when the rest of the world realizes that their stock in trade, sardines, are gross. Their economy comes to a grinding halt and this once happy community loses its smile. What will happen to them now? Enter Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader).
Flint is a hapless inventor who always has his eyes set on the next big thing, despite the fact that none of his inventions have actually worked as designed. For example he made spray on shoes that do not quite work and a remote control TV that runs off on its own. However, with the fishing catastrophe that has befallen the town, Flint has one more idea.
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