The Croods

Before the common man roamed the Earth there were cavemen. The prehistoric era was a dangerous era to live in so the majority of their time was spent huddling together in a cave, only occasionally venturing out to gather food when necessary. It was a boring lifestyle, but hey at least they were alive. The Croods were one such family who did this under the leadership of Grug (Nicolas Cage). Like all families, however, there’s always someone who strays from the rest of the pack. In this case it’s Eep (Emma Stone), the rebellious teenage daughter who strives for adventure. When adventure comes knocking in the form of a more intelligent species of man called Guy (Ryan Reynolds), Eep immediately takes notice and puts the whole Crood family in danger. Little do they know that the world is already changing.

 

Grug and the rest of his Crood crew live a simple lifestyle that isn’t too exciting. Even though they’re cavemen, they still act like a normal family. Grug’s the head of the household and the provider of the family. His wife, Ugga (Catherine Keener) is the sensible one. Their son Thunk (Clark Duke) is the child you worry about because he’s growing up to be an idiot. Little Sandy is the baby going through her terrible twos phase. Of course there’s also the mother-in-law (Cloris Leachman) who questions everything Grug does and is the bane of his existence. They’re just like every other family, and it’s easy to relate to some, if not all, of the characters.

 

The Croods has some memorable humor as Grug and Guy clash heads and fight for survival. It’s the type of slapstick humor that’s good for a quick laugh, like when Grug gets beaten up by a group of monkeys or when Guy tries to explain what fire is. It’s also very formulaic in its storyline, though, with it being nothing more than your typical quest for adventure film. While this is perfectly fine for children, parents looking for a little more meat on the bone will have to settle for what it’s worth.

 

One aspect The Croods absolutely excels at is the animation. DreamWorks Animation does a fantastic job at rendering the Crood family down to the tiniest detail. Specs of dust shimmer in the light, and vibrant colors create a majestic landscape filled with arid deserts and lush forests. Even if you’re not into the story, you can’t help but appreciate the visual splendor of the film.

 

The Croods isn’t as crude as I initially would have thought. Kids will no doubt be entertained with its humor and charm. Adults may come to expect a little more from the animation, but it’s still an enjoyable ride nonetheless.