Today's Review: Amazonia 3D

Wrote another review for MovieScene a while back, it finally got published today:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/152048/amazonia_-_recensie

A mixed bag, this film. The storialized aspect shouldn't be the main draw, that would be the spectacular wildlife photography, as is usual for documentaries. This movie isn't 100% documentary stuff though, which is probably a mistake, since the natural imagery would have been enough to make it worthwhile (both regular and in 3D), yet now you have a plot of sorts getting in the way of that to appeal to a younger audience. That said, I'm glad this movie didn't try to evade the issue at hand, namely the destruction of the rain forest and the loss of all its beauty (and dangers) for human short term greed. It takes a while for that issue to be addressed and the focus on that topic is rather brief but thoroughly effective, as the grim look of a demolished jungle is shocking for all ages, and hopefully succeeds in convincing all ages of the necessity of ending deforestation. Good message, but not perfect execution.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Rating: ****/*****, or 8/10

Delightful, often overlooked and underrated animated family film about young inventor Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader) who lives on a depressing island where everything revolves around sardines, until he invents a machine that when shot up in the sky can make it rain food. Soon the town lightens up and a food theme park is created, but due to the mayor's humongous greedy appetite, dark clouds of junk food soon loom over the horizon as a food hurricane forms and threatens to destroy the island, if not the world. Together with an intrepid female reporter (performed by Anna Faris), who he has a serious crush on, Flint must find a way to turn off his machine before the whole planet succumbs to severe food poisoning. Features a host of fun supporting characters, including a local spoiled ex-child celebrity, Flints stern and less than enthusiastic father (James Caan) who can't stop talking in fishing metaphors, an overprotective cop/father (Mr. T. with a reverse tomahawk hairdo) who constantly bugs Flint for disturbing the peace with his cracking contraptions, and a talking monkey (of sorts). Though the typical thematic values the movie deals with, mostly about not being afraid to be different (i.e., a nerd) and believing in yourself, the film's strength lies in its abundance of quick visual gags and witty jokes, making it a fun fest for kids and adults alike. The 3-D version also holds up pretty well compared to many other animated films released in the same format. The Dutch dubbed version is notable for its ingenious use of Flemish and regular Dutch dialects: the island inhabitants all speak Flemish, the rest of the world speaks plain Dutch.

Starring: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan

Directed by Phil Lord, Chris Miller

USA: Columbia Pictures, 2009