‘The Croods: A New Age’ Review: Evolved Family Fun

I actually had to go back and rewatch The Croods in preparation for its sequel, The Croods: A New Age. It’s been seven years after all, and the new film takes place directly after the original with the whole Crood family and Guy continuing to follow the sun in search of a new home. I really enjoyed The Croods and its simplistic adventure story. A New Age follows suit as well and doesn’t try to change what isn’t broken. The world may be getting bigger for the Crood family, but they still stick to what they know best.

Now with the addition of Guy (Ryan Reynolds), the Crood family is better than ever in their search for the home that he calls Tomorrow. Sure, Grug (Nicolas Cage) still doesn’t like how close Guy is becoming with his daughter Eep (Emma Stone), but he’s at least a bit more receptive to his ideas. Guy, on the other hand, isn’t too fond of the Croods’ more basic lifestyle such as the body pile they all sleep in. Both of their understandings of the world are about to change, however, when they come across a massive man-built wall, shielding a paradise that is filled with an abundance of food, water, and nothing aiming to kill them. Turns out it’s the home to the Bettermans, Phil (Peter Dinklage) and Hope (Leslie Mann), along with their daughter Dawn (Kelly Marie Tran), who have thrived in the wild using skills that are far more advanced than the Croods’ caveman techniques. Life has just gotten a little more complicated, for both the good and the bad.

A New Age is more or less the same in comparison to The Croods and essentially just takes things up a single notch. Guy introduced fire and some good ideas in the first film, and here we have the Bettermans taking their technological ideas to the next level with treehouses, elevators, and showers. The film even opens with a scene similar to that of the original, only instead of chasing a bird around for its egg, they’re running away from predators. It’s the same concept and delivery, though. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The film is light hearted and fun, with a colorful landscape that captures your wildest imaginations, just like the original.

That being said, it does already feel a bit dated since it’s so similar to its 2013 predecessor. The Croods are still stuck to their caveman ways so the plot continues to develop in the same manner, albeit on a grander scale. Family has always been at the heart of the plot, and A New Age is no exception. If you’re a fan of the first film, you’ll likely enjoy its sequel. On the flipside, if you hated the first, there’s nothing new that will change your mind.

The Croods: A New Age has been seven years in the making, and while I can’t say it’s been exactly worth the wait, it is nice to have the franchise back again. Like the Croods themselves, there’s not much that has evolved in the past few years, but there’s still a lot of heartfelt love that’s fun for the whole family.