MOVIE REVIEW: THE CROODS: A NEW AGE

 

Searching for a safer habitat, the prehistoric Crood family discovers an idyllic, walled-in paradise that meets all of its needs. Unfortunately, they must also learn to live with the Bettermans -- a family that's a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder. As tensions between the new neighbors start to rise, a new threat soon propels both clans on an epic adventure that forces them to embrace their differences, draw strength from one another, and survive together.

Director: Joel Crawford

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, Cloris Leachman, Peter Dinklage, Leslie Mann, Kelly Marie Tran

Release Date: November 25, 2020

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Rated PG for peril, action and rude humor.

Runtime: 1 h 35 min

Review:

The Croods: A New Age which randomly appears 7 years after the original is more unfocused than the first film but still a fun family film.  The story in this sequel is more straightforward but it allows Joel Crawford to move the story into weird and surprisingly psychedelic areas.  Crawford moves the story along a steady pace getting into the story fairly quickly introducing the new characters/cast.  The returning cast easily gets back into their characters and have great chemistry with newcomers Peter Dinklage and Leslie Mann.  Dinklage and Mann play great foils to the Croods as the hipster Bettermans who are slightly more evolved.  Dinklage and Cage in particular seem to be having a ball throughout the film with it all climaxing with a great Punch Monkey finale.  Stone, Keener, Leachman, Mann & Tran also get their time to shine with a strong girl power story thread that has them all saving the day.  Its message is sweet but it’s not anything revelatory like some of the prestige Pixar films.  This sequel isn’t as consistent as the original but it’s still a lot of fun in parts but be warned some sequences might be a bit too intense or scary for very small children. 

B

MOVIE REVIEW: THE CROODS

A prehistoric family are forced to flee their cave after it's destroyed by a disaster that threatens to change their lives forever in this animated adventure featuring the voices of Nicolas Cage and Emma Stone. As a protective caveman father leads his family out of harm's way, the clan crosses paths with a resourceful teen named Guy (voice of Ryan Reynolds), who offers to help them reach a distant land where they'll be safe from an impending catastrophe that will soon alter the entire world. Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman round out the cast of vocal performers. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Kirk De Micco

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman

Release Date: Mar 22, 2013

Rated PG for some scary action

Runtime: 1 hr. 31 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Animated, Family

Review:

The Croods is the type of animated family film that made for everyone to enjoy. Working from a simplistic and tried and true formula its script brims with enough energy to every keep it from being tedious. It’s funny and touching throughout. Kirk De Micco’s direction is deft; he keeps our attention with a lush virtual cornucopia while ably handling the family dynamics at play. De Micco has a strong track record going for him, (Lilo and Stich, How To Train Your Dragon) so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that his film has some tangible heart in between all the action set pieces and gags. The voice work by the assembled talent is all great with Cage, Stone and Reynolds deserving specific praise. Cage and Reynolds really seem comfortable doing voice work as both have distinctive voices and personalities that lend itself to this kind of film. Throw in some wonderful character designs and fun 3D and you have a family film that enjoyable for everyone.

B