My credentials to review this movie go back to my childhood. The pretzel rods I would snack on were really rocket ships, which would patrol around me as I was watching television. There was a particular butter cookie, shaped like the head of a daisy with a hole in the middle, that emitted a force field when I wore them as rings on my fingers. I not only enjoyed eating my food but playing with it too. There was hardly a food that could not become something to play with, simply by using my imagination. In this animated sequel the creative ways used to bring food items to life was fun and enjoyable to watch. I did not see the first film so I cannot make a comparison between the two. Bill Hader (Paul, Superbad) voiced young inventor Flint Lockwood. When invited to join some of the best scientists in the world at the Live Corp Company, Flint jumped at the chance to meet his idol Chester V, voiced by Will Forte (MacGruber, The Watch). Though the company’s mission was to create inventions that would better mankind, Flint’s past would play an important part in the company’s future. I thought the casting of voices such as Terry Crews (Bridesmaids, The Expendables franchise) as Earl Devereaux, Anna Faris (The House Bunny, The Dictator) as Sam Sparks and James Caan (Misery, Elf) as Tim Lockwood was the best part of the predictable story. The humor was geared towards young children leaving me a bit bored. Once in a while there was a joke that I acknowledged as being clever but nothing that was worth a chuckle. I got a kick out of the animation because it reminded me of the animated movies I saw as a kid. At one point I took a look around the theater and noticed the kids were interested in the movie while the adults appeared to fidget in their seats. This family comedy did not have the style and depth of some of the other film studios’ animated features. If you have a young child who wants to see this film they will probably enjoy it. If you go, stay through the first set of credits. As for myself, I left the theater with a strong desire to grab a bite to eat.

2 stars