The Croods is a heartwarming story about a very close family of cavemen that ventures out to the land of “tomorrow” because their cave was destroyed. During their journey, they are accompanied by Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a comical version of today’s homo sapiens, while the Croods seem to be homo erectus.
Eep, voiced by the lovely Emma Stone, is an adventurous girl seeking excitement beyond the depths of a dark cave. Her father, Grug (Nicolas Cage), however, does not believe in life beyond the cave and is afraid of anything new. Eep, of course, becomes rebellious and sneaks out during the middle of the night. Boy meets girl, boy introduces girl to fire – it’s a story older than recorded history.
Visually, I was impressed with DreamWorks Animation. The movie looked fantastic. Lots of bright and vibrant colors made the movie feel more modern than prehistoric. The animals, reptiles and wildlife were detailed and retained a historically accurate appearance, but looked friendly rather than frightening. This definitely is a great movie for children, adults and even the elderly.
The Croods will definitely toy with your emotions. At times, the movie had audiences keeled over laughing and other times almost close to tearing up. Guy has a dark history with his family, and Grug doesn’t accept change well. There are also light moments like when the family splits up, and each one is given a conch shell, prompting Grug to ask, “Do you really think the kids need their own shell?!” poking fun at modern times and the usage of cell phones.
Being kept in the dark for most of their years in the cave, the Croods’ outlook begins to change and the family becomes more adept and accepting. The film ended with the quote, “We learned to change.” As the movie suggests, sometimes in life, change is good, and almost anything is possible with family. Anyone looking for a great movie with positive messages and a few good laughs should watch this film.
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sohare@ramapo.edu
