Age-appropriate 3-D food adventure doesn't fully satisfy.

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Based loosely (very loosely) on the popular children's book "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," this animated adventure takes the book's story about a town where weather provides fully cooked meals and turns it into a 3-D fantasy about Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader), a young inventor who creates a device that transforms water into food.

When Flint's invention is launched into the sky, he inadvertently saves the town of Chewandswallow from financial and nutritional ruin. Helping the town make its unique claim to fame is weather reporter Sam (Anna Faris), who's smitten with Flint. As the Chewandswallow residents (especially the fatter-and-fatter mayor, voiced by Bruce Campbell) become greedier with their daily meal requests , Flint's invention becomes more and more overheated -- until it leads to a culinary disaster that could destroy the world.

Sony Pictures Animation may not be Pixar (and, to be fair, no studio is Pixar), but it previously scored with the fantastically imaginative "Monster House," the charming buddy comedy "Open Season," and the penguin's paradise "Surf's Up." Cloudy seems like a step backward, even though it's an obvious transition into the profitable 3-D genre.

The voice talent is there (Faris, in particular, is an adroit voice actress, and Mr. T is laugh-aloud funny as an overly eager town cop), but the story is not only completely unlike the book upon which it's supposedly based but, frankly, a tad unengaging for adult audiences, who are by now used to more sophisticated animated films.

That's not to say that parents won't laugh along with their young children at the sight of a Neapolitan-ice-cream snowfall or a drizzle of steak falling onto diners' plates at a trendy, roofless restaurant. But part of the book's magic is that it's a bedtime tale about a town where food just rains down.

The movie, by comparison, seems like a cautionary tale about dependence on genetically modified "techno-food" -- a science experiment gone amok. Despite the occasional jokes, there's no emotional attachment to the main character, the way you feel about Shrek, Nemo, Woody, or even Sid the Sloth. By the end, the hurricane of pasta and avalanche of leftovers might as well bury the town. Then at least the 3-D effects would at least be spectacular.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this adaptation of the classic children's book "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is bound to attract the 10-and-under set.

While there's nothing overtly age-inappropriate in the movie, expect a bit of salty language along the lines of "hell" and and the occasional mild insult like "stupid" or "knuckle scrapers." The few tense/slightly scary scenes are weather- and giant food-related -- which could upset little kids who are sensitive to fears about natural disasters -- and there's a brewing romance between the main character and a weather reporter.

Although no grand life lessons are offered, the movie does center on a son's need for fatherly encouragement and the idea that you shouldn't compromise who you are just to be popular. The movie's plot is very different than the book's, so anyone expecting a straight adaptation will be disappointed.

Families Can Talk About

• Families can talk about the movie's message about compromising yourself for the sake of popularity. Is that ever worth it? How does Sam change once she knows that Flint likes that she's actually smart?

• How does the movie portray technology? When does the experiment go wrong?

• Why does Flint want his father's approval so badly? Does his father have a point in discouraging Flint's inventions?

Studio: Columbia Pictures Entertainment Director: Chris Miller, Phil Lord Cast: Anna Faris, Andy Samberg, Bill Hader Genre: Family and Kids Run time: 81 minutes Theatrical release: 9/18/2009 MPAA rating: PG MPAA explanation: brief mild language

Reviewed by Sandie Angulo Chen.

See more about 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' at Common Sense Media.