Friends,
I hope you had a good weekend. On Saturday, 19 September 2009, Janice and I
drove out to Framingham, Massachusetts, for some shopping and to meet Thomas K.Y. We screened Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, which we enjoyed more than we expected. Of course, since
spaghetti and meatballs is one of my favorite meals, I'm biased.
The
computer-animated movie (we didn't see the 3-D version) is a loose adaptation
of a children's book in which an inventor inadvertently overwhelms a town with
rain converted into common foods. The film adds and develops characters,
features numerous sight gags, and even sneaks in some social commentary about
consumerism and gluttony.
While
not necessarily at the level of Pixar's Up,
the animation was solid, and the writing quality was comparable to that of Monsters vs. Aliens. The celebrity voice cast, led by Bill Hader, Anna Faris, and James Caan, was also good without drawing
undue attention to itself. I'd give Cloudy
With a Chance of Meatballs, which was rated PG for cartoon violence, a 7 or
8 out of 10, or a B+.
Some
people have recently asked me why I'm so generous with movie ratings. Part of
the answer is that I try to avoid spending money on theatrical releases of
movies I don't think I'd like, including summer blockbusters such as Transformers 2, Wolverine Origins, and G.I. Joe. Some of my friends enjoyed
these flicks, but my time and funds are limited. None of the previews we saw this
weekend were particularly exciting, but I am curious about The Fantastic Mr. Fox.
After
the movie, we went to Red Pepper, a Chinese restaurant that Thomas had heard of
out on Route 9. The food was decent, and we're glad to have yet one more dining
option in that area. On Sunday, Janice and I drove down to the Walpole Mall but
found that the Five Guys' Burgers and Fries there wasn't open yet. We ate at
Chipotle and the cheap but reliable Papa Gino's.
Although
work, gaming, and travel have occupied much of my time lately, I am looking
forward to the new genre television season and several comic book titles, which
I'll try to review in the next week or so.
Gene's Worlds 