When you think of a potato, one of the lasts things on your mind is most likely going to be a hippopotamus.
The "Hippotatomus," a living baked potato that is shaped like a hippo with eyes, a butter tongue and chive teeth is only one of the many food-based animals you will see while watching "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2."
The movie, released to DVD on Jan. 28, is a kids' film that follows the life of aspiring scientist Flint Lockwood as he journeys with his friends to stop one of his out-of-control inventions.
It just so happens that this invention can convert water to food, and after going haywire, has started to produce food dishes that have taken on human-like characteristics and are now taking over Flint's home island.
From "Shrimpanzees" to "Apple Piethons," the film is brimming with food puns. Although a good amount of the jokes carried over from the first movie, the comedic genius behind them is still side-splittingly hilarious for kids and adults alike.
The trailers were promising enough to prove that Sony Pictures Animation wasn't giving in to the "sequel trap" of the movie industry, which is something even big name companies like Pixar do.
The animation in the movie is amazing enough to bring a child's imagination to life and takes playing with your food to a whole new level. Sorry, mom and dad.
The storyline was shamelessly similar to that of its prequel, however. The writers could have gone in a different direction instead of having Flint, once again, save the town from the destruction of one of his inventions.
Then again, the movie is lighthearted and hilarious enough that the similar story lines shouldn't bother the film's targeted audience: children. Adults are most likely waiting for the next humorous bit between Flint's dad and the pickles, whose scenes often resembled that of a parent's day out with their kids.
"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" does a remarkable job of appealing and relating to many different age groups. The flick is a perfect choice for a family outing or a date night. There are some jokes kids may not catch that the adults did and vice versa.
Scoring a 70 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the general public was not as impressed by this movie as they were by the first one, which yielded an 87 percent. This may be due to the change of directors in the second movie.
I feel that the movie deserved a higher rating. The visuals are extraordinary and the food animals that directors Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn created were unique and adorable to say the least.
Will there be a "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 3"? It is doubtful, unless the writers can create a new story line. The popularity of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" isn't high enough to build a successful franchise, such as that of "Toy Story," but it's entertaining nonetheless.
After "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" be sure to help yourself to seconds and pick "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" at a Red Box. Just make sure you don't watch the movie on an empty stomach.