Truth be told there has been a dearth of good movies at theaters this year. Many of the promised blockbusters guaranteed to keep you at the edge of your seats are lackluster and seemed weighed down by their CGI and action promises. However in the world of animation, it's been a pretty stellar year.

First was the fantastic Coraline, creepy, un-PC and beautiful to look at. I am a little biased because I loved the book and Selick who made Nightmare Before Christmas can’t put a wrong foot forward. Even if he made a movie about tap dancing kittens I’d watch it.

Then came the thoroughly charming Up that seemed to break formulaic boundaries by showing death and loss (albeit very tenderly) in the first 10 minutes of the movie. Colour and imagination rule supreme for the rest of the movie.

And now there's Cloudy with the Chance of Meatballs. Based on a children's book, where Up has touches of whimsy, Cloudy is just trippy. Psychedelic colours, a slightly retro sensibility and a soundtrack that’s just a tad off kilter, Cloudy is a cartoon on an acid trip (but one you want to take).

Though at certain points, the access of food imagery gets a little revolting, who does not dream of 30 flavoured ice cream snow, a jello bouncy castle and cheeseburgers raining from the sky? Your inner child will whoop with joy.

"I want to live in a jello castle..."

Quick story outline. Flint lives in a tiny island in the Atlantic whose main industry are sardines. Then came a global decree that sardines are disgusting and the island goes into a depressed funk. Flint is the town's laughing stock who just wants to invent something great. No one really gets him including his hardworking and emotionally shy dad who uses fishing metaphors to teach his scientist son life lessons.

Flint creates a machine that changes water molecules into food and suddenly he is an instant celebrity. Of course it gets overwrought and starts mutating into a monster creating freakish food weather like a meatball twister and a giant dessert storm. So finally it’s up to Flint, Sam the weather girl, a monkey named Steve, a Guatemalan cameraman and the previous town celebrity to fly into the heart of the calorie filled maelstrom to administer the kill code.

Mama mia! It's Tornado ala Meatballs

The movie whizzes by on a manic rhythm yet it doesn’t take its audience for granted. And what makes it entertaining are the small little character details. The geeky neediness of Flint, the insecure sweetness of Sam, Flint’s dad, gruff and disapproving and a stellar turn from Mr. T voicing Earl the hot-pants-wearing-one-man-law enforcer. That and truly killer art direction. And I bet they had a field day writing the script with lines like “That spaghetti twister is just an amuse bouche compared to what's on the way," and terms like Foodvalanche! And Food Coma. It has some of the formulaic goodness that deems an enjoyable watch yet is still fresh like an April shower made of fresh lemonade.

But food metaphors aside seriously it’s just loads of fun, a ridiculous ride with cautionary messages like the folly of excess done subtly and with affection. So do yourselves a favour, check your critic at the door and bring your groovy shoes. You might not want to eat after watching a food movie like this but you’ll go home dancing a small jig.

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