Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
By Emily Ashby,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Comical prequel series is fun for fans of popular movies.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Community Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Don't listen to any positive reviews or I'll find you.
Report this review
Super strange, not great.
Report this review
What's the Story?
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS is an animated series set prior to the timing of the feature-length film of the same name. The stories follow teen inventor extraordinaire Flint Lockwood (voiced by Mark Edwards), a town misfit until he meets his new classmate Sam Sparks (Katie Griffin), who shares his passion for science and has a particular passion for meteorology and TV reporting. Together these fast friends face the ups and downs of high school in their small town of Swallow Falls and cope with the inevitably hilarious fallout from Flint's many unusual inventions.
Is It Any Good?
This franchise add-on will be on the must-see list of every kid who loves the movies' goofball humor, but it doesn't charm quite like the CGI versions did. Duller animation and a less remarkable voice cast detract a bit, but it's never lacking in the science-related slapstick that helped make the movies a hit. A select group of familiar faces make returns here, including Flint's dad, Tim (Sean Cullen); his sidekick, Steve the monkey (Edwards again); and Earl (Cle Bennett), who's Flint's boisterous gym teacher in his pre-law enforcement days.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs doesn't attempt to lead directly into the movies and in fact presents a major inconsistency for the later stories by introducing Sam to Flint during their teen years. Of course this is only a concern for those who have seen the chronologically later stories first; new viewers without a history with these characters won't have a problem and likely will want to follow up with the movies at some point. A big plus to the show? Even though the science often isn't realistic, the hero and heroine make nerdiness seem pretty cool.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about fitting in among peers. Is it ever OK to change who you are in an attempt to be accepted? How willing are you to befriend people who don't fit a certain mold?
How does Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs portray science and technology? What applications do you see in play here? How might their realistic counterparts lead to results different from Flint and Sam's experience? What is the value of trying something and failing?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 7, 2017
- Cast: Katie Griffin, Sean Cullen, Mark Edwards
- Network: Cartoon Network
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Book Characters, Friendship, High School
- TV rating: TV-Y7-FV
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Movies Based on Books
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate