Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is here to provide some family 3D entertainment. Trust me; it'll make you hungry watching it in flat-screen.

In case you haven't seen the last movie, Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) fills you in. Basically, Flint invented the FLDSMDFR, the wondrous device that rained food. Flint destroyed the machine after it made not-so-wondrous food weather all over the world.

Then, super-genius Chester V (Will Forte) shows up, and evacuates Flint's island hometown of Swallow Falls. Flint even gets a job working with V, his longtime scientific idol. But then he humiliates himself in-front of him.

It turns out the FLDSMDFR isn't dead; it's busy making food creatures. These "foodimals" are apparently learning how to swim so they can destroy New York City...or something. So Chester V sends Flint to find the device and shut it down. Oh yeah, and Flint's friends come along too.

The film gets by on plenty of silly, though obvious puns. Like:

Character 1: (Insert food-related cliche...)

Character 2: (There's the food!)

Or the names of the Foodimals. Like "Shrimpanzees," "PB & Jellyfish" and "Tacodile Supreme." Needless to say, the writers get points for their wordplay. Though if they wanted one more point, they should've made the villain's identity less obvious.

The Foodimals are the best part of the film. That's because they're quite creative mash-ups which look all too delicious. You'll be wanting a cheeseburger before this is done.

It's bright and colorful enough to satisfy the kids in the audience. Much of the humor is quite juvenile, though the adults will tolerate it enough to get through the film. I found the whole film kind of cutesy and fun.

Until Free Birds comes out November 1st, this is the only new animated film out there. Still, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs should satisfy many a matinee until then. It's certainly a lot better than something like The Smurfs 2.

Salinger

Almost a decade was spent making the new documentary, Salinger. The end result gives its audience some interesting, sometimes shocking details, into the life of the titular literary genius.

Salinger is, of course, J.D. Salinger, the author of The Catcher in the Rye. Even before writing that book, his only novel, he also published quite a few short stories. He also served in World War II, from D-Day to V-E Day. He even had his heart broken by Oona O'Neil, who left him for Charlie Chaplin.

In later life, Salinger became the most famous recluse since Howard Hughes. He'd write and write, but never let his work get published (his last work was Hapworth 16, 1924, published in 1964). Interviewing fans and friends, director Shane Solero tries to uncover why that was.

Of course, one voice you won't hear from is J.D. Salinger himself.

It would've been nice to hear from him, though. Particularly when it talked about the "fans" who killed, or tried to kill, in the name of The Catcher in the Rye. One guy said he'd be disturbed if fans used his work as their pretense. But how did that influence Salinger's reclusiveness?

It does explain how his life shaped his writing career, especially with Rye's Holden Caufield. It shows Salinger as being disillusioned with the world, much like Caufield. Overall, it's a convincing enough portrait of someone so smart that he can't relate to the world (as it portrays his relationship with his first wife).

At 129 minutes, it felt really long towards the end. At least, it seemed to end by introducing a few previously unpublished Salinger works set to be released soon. But then it goes on for a few more minutes. OK...

For those not much in the know, Salinger will provide a suitable learning experience. It does best with what it could get, and that's all that matters.

Blue Jasmine

Woody Allen's never-ending streak of movie-making continues this year with Blue Jasmine. It's an excellent reminder why he's been in business for so long.

Jasmine Francis (Cate Blanchett) is a New York socialite. Or rather, she was, until she lost everything when her husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) went to jail for fraud. Now broke, she's forced to live with her adopted sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco. She tries to maintain a normal life while clinging to her sanity.

Along the way, she meets Dwight (Peter Sarsgaard), a potential new suitor. She also runs into Ginger's ex Augie (Andrew Dice Clay) and her current man, Chili (Bobby Cannavale). She can't stand them, but really, it's because they can't stand her.

And it's all a dark comedy.

As Jasmine, Blanchett is a grown-up spoiled rich girl. And now, that spoiled rich girl has nothing. That's exactly what she's left with in the end. But she's a fascinatingly spoiled because she tries to keep up the facade of a good life. It shows she has more depth than "spoiled rotten."

Much of her supporting cast also give great performances. Clay, whose usual comedic persona is a jerk, is also a jerk here, but his reasons are actually understandable. Michael Stuhlbarg is Dr. Flicker, a seemingly nice dentist who hires Jasmine as a receptionist. Then there's Louis C.K., a nice, false suitor for Ginger.

Allen's screenplay sounds like it's a serious drama. But really, there are elements we can laugh at. Among them are Jasmine's opening scene, in which she babbles on about her life. Another part is Flicker's proposal to introduce Jasmine to Nitrous Oxide. It's all a reminder that we're watching a satire on the shallow rich.

If you can find Blue Jasmine in a theater, try to see it. It's a good character study about someone who really isn't that good.