Dave Feiss Directs “Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs 2” Hand-Drawn Short “Earl Scouts”

Dave Feiss ( Cow and Chicken) directed Earl Scouts, a 2D short with CG wraparounds, as a tie-in for Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs 2. The 2D animation was produced by 6 Point Harness. While slickly made, the humorous personalities of the film’s characters have been discarded in favor of a warmed-over Ren & Stimpy sensibility. Officer Earl is unmistakably modeled on George Liquor, minus the necessary timing that makes the latter character funny, and pickle and strawberry have obtained the generic over-the-top expressions of countless other post-R&S characters. The ‘dry brush’ rendering of pickle and strawberry is an attractive design choice, but the characters’ personalities and humor pales in comparison to the feature film.