Inspired by a little known children's book (at least in the UK) this delightful film might not have the all-conquering Pixar studio behind it but it is on a par with the best animations of recent years... infact I'd go as far as saying this one is the best of the lot.

 

Flint Lockwood (Hader) is a young inventor who dreams of creating something that will improve everyone's life. His dowdy town is famous only for sardines and the townsfolk have come accustomed to this bland diet. When Flint seemingly ruins the latest attempt by the Mayor (Campbell) to liven things up, everyone turns on him and he even manages to disappoint his gruff father (Caan) who has been looking after him since his mother died. With only his trusted pet monkey Steve by his side, Flint wonders what will happen to him... but then his latest invention kicks into action.

With perky weathergirl Sam Spade (Faris) in town, food suddenly starts falling from the sky. The town soon becomes a global attraction and even uncompromising police officer Earl (Mr.T) begins to make requests to the new local hero Flint. However the machine begins to become overloaded and threatens to destroy the very town it has been serving... and it's left to Flint, Sam, Steve and the former child star Baby Brent to come to the rescue. Can they save Swallow Falls from a deadly case of the Meatballs?

Early trailers and word of mouth promised little, and the fact that this comes from a relatively new and unknown animation house within Sony meant my expectations were low. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement as I haven't laughed this hard since The Hangover with the enjoyment factor off the scale. The characters are so likable that you can't help but be swept away by the action and story they create. The world they inhabit is wonderful but still with the realms of reality and the subtle use of 3D enhances almost all elements of the film.

What really stands out is the superb writing which is in equal parts mature yet enchanting. It keeps flowing at a cracking pace with exposition happening without you ever realising it mainly thanks to the regular delivery of laughs. It's clever without ever trying too hard to go over the audiences head (kids will enjoy it as well). The book may well be a classic, it dates from 1978, but this is a thoroughly up to date adaptation. The final act becomes a spoof of recent disaster movies and its globe-trotting news feeds are brilliantly observed managing to mock both Hollywood and international stereotypes.

The voice acting is another surprise. You wonder for a moment if they actually did manage to get the real Mr T to voice Earl... its welcome news that they very much did, watch out for the scene when Earl takes off his cap for further proof if it were needed. Faris is perfectly cast as the perky weathergirl; this is almost the animated version of her 'Bunnygirl' persona from The House Bunny. Bruce Campbell is also clearly having a lot of fun as the villainous Mayor aided by a motley crew of supporting characters.  

I've already seen this film twice... and i'd gladly watch it again. If anything the second viewing added more to the experience allowing me to catch up on gags I missed the first time around.