Hey there everybody and welcome to a new throwback review where the topic today will be a Dreamworks movie whose sequel will be coming out very soon. Yes I will of course be talking about the Croods, the 2013 caveman comedy from the high profile animation studio that was a very big hit when it came out ($587 million worldwide at the box office) but has mostly been forgotten by most as it didn’t quite capture the zeitgeist the way some of their other films like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, or Hoe to Train Your Dragon did despite the fact that it mostly got a pretty decent reception. So now with The Croods: A New Age soon hitting theaters 7(!) years later I’ve decided to give this one a re watch since I actually haven’t seen it in it’s entirety since I saw it all the way back when it was released. While it may not be one of my personal favorites of the studio’s output I still think this a very enjoyable family film that has a lot to like. Now let’s head on back to the Stone Age and see what to make of the world’s first family!
In the dawn of time we follow the story of the Croods, a family of cavemen who have managed to survive so long due to the rules, and over protectiveness of the patriarch, Grug, as they are mostly sheltered in their cave only doing what they must do to survive. Everyone seems to be okay with this minimal lifestyle except for oldest daughter Eep who often disobeys her father’s orders due to her curiosity concerning what else is out there. One night after a hunt Eep decides to sneak out when she sees some sort of moving light. This light turns out to be from a fire that was set up, and it is here where she encounters, Guy, a fellow human who seems to be a bit more “modern” along with his pet sloth, Belt, and while afraid at first Guy does seem to have a little something for this new visitor (same feeling for Eep). But he then warns her that the end is near and that she should call for help if she needs it. The rest of the family finds out about Eep’s whereabouts and Grug is not happy and grounds her but things take a turn for the worst when their cave is destroyed by an earthquake and now they have to venture out into lands unknown with Guy as their (reluctant) guide to help them along the way towards tomorrow… Something that is easier said than done not just because of the perilous journey itself but because of Grug’s resentful feelings towards Guy as well.
This is one of those Dreamworks movies like Turbo, or Abominable that has a lot of familiar story elements story wise yet just like those two I personally feel like it is well executed nonetheless. Yes we’ve seen these types of tropes before like a young teen who wants more than the life they have, a strict father who disapproves a of change, a rivalry between that father and a love interest, etc. but I still was able to enjoy this movie because it is still a well done variation of these types of on the road movies. What makes all of it work is that I really enjoyed seeing this wacky family of caveman and how they handle their way of life and have to adapt, and learn to accept change in order to not only survive as the writers did a nice job of coming up with some creative scenarios on how a cave family would act and a lot of the comedy stems from that as well as how ordinary objects would be portrayed in this setting (of course there’s Belt, but I also enjoyed the snapshot joke, the shoes scene, and some other clever ones). The humor in general though I enjoyed quite a bit as it takes advantage of the setting well and can sometimes be pretty dark (one of my favorite jokes is the long running gag about how Grug constantly hopes for Gran to die at any moment) even if some jokes don’t completely land as well as others. The Caveman aspect also serves as a nice way to convey the aforementioned themes of being accepting of new ideas that can help make life better, and how life doesn’t just have to be about surviving (messages that can feel their being slammed down are throat at some points but are still effectively conveyed overall). It also helps that there is some good emotion that I think really holds the film together since when it hits it actually does hit nicely in particular the ending which vague spoilers involved a heroic “sacrifice” that while we know it’s not going to be permanent still works because the other characters believe it, and it helps pays off the arc of that character very well. In terms of my biggest problem with the movie its it’s story structure which can feel very uneven at times as it shifts from being mostly Eep’s story to dealing with Grug and while not poorly handled it was a little bit jarring. Still though this is still a very enjoyable concept that was well executed and shows that director/writer, Chris Sanders, knows how to make a very touching, and fun family film.
My favorite aspect of this movie though is easily the worldbuilding and how the visuals present that world because they are just gorgeous to look at. Instead of going for a more traditional Stone Age/pre historic setting the movie goes for a much more fantastical, and colorful interpretations with many cool looking creatures with creative designs with some that combine different species together into one (like a land whale with legs, or a turtle bird) and others that are just colorful versions of animals like sabretooth tigers, mammoths, birds, and monkeys among others and it’s always fun to see what type of creatures the crew came up with and when they’ll pop up. Same also applies to the landscapes, and backgrounds which just look big, and beautifully rendered and there’s a nice variety to where the family explores from a barren desert like setting, to a lush, and colorful jungle, to extremely rocky terrain. As for the designs of the cave people themselves well I think the designers did a good job of making them look appealing, and memorable with each staying true to the respective characters. I also must say that one thing that I actually was impressed more on this viewing were the action sequences which are really exciting which shouldn’t be a surprise considering this is Chris Sanders who of course did such movies like Lilo & Stitch, and How to Train Your Dragon among others. He brings a lot of energy to these scenes and is able to add a lot of stakes to the proceedings and it makes for some well crafted and fun beats. My favorite is probably in the beginning where the family is trying to snatch an egg from a bird as it best exemplifies what I just mentioned and does a great job introducing us the family, and each member. Another thing that I actually didn’t know until I re watched it was that Alan Silvestri (of Back to the Future, the Avengers, Predator, and more fame) did the music and it is very nice as it fits in with different scenes (the comedic parts, the exciting scenes, etc.) and it was just a neat tidbit that I didn’t know beforehand, and a pleasant surprise it was as it added another nice element to the feature.
A common choice that is made in Dreamworks’s movies is that they always seem to have a bunch of well known celebrities as the voices. Now there are times where it actually works and the actors do a great job (Shrek, Over the Hedge etc.) but there are also some where it just feels like the actor is character as opposed to the actor playing the character (Antz, Shark Tale etc.). This is thankfully an example of the former rather than the latter as there are a lot of big name actors here and they are all well cast here. I actually completely forgot people like Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, and Ryan Reynolds were in this and what’s even better is that their not immediately recognizable. Cage is really good as Grug playing the strict yet loving father well and what I like about the characters is that it is understandable why he acts the way he does in order to keep his family safe and while he is definitely no without his issues, he still means well even if he lets jealousy get the best of him sometimes. Plus the focus on his character does help in developing him more and I really liked how his arc payed off in the end. Though like I said before it this storytelling shift does shift Eep to the sidelines for a bit but I still like her as a character as she is sympathetic in how she wants to see what’s more to life instead of being caved away, her personality is fun, Emma Stone is great in the role and I really enjoyed her interactions with Guy. Speaking of which he is also a fun character as it is amusing seeing him get used to being around these much more savage cave people, and Ryan Reynolds is actually unrecognizable here (funny enough he was also the lead in Dreamworks’s Turbo that same year) and I like his little side kick Belt (who is actually voiced by Chris Sanders) as he is a cute addition to the trend of small, adorable animal sidekicks. The rest of the family is also enjoyable to watch with Clark Duke as the short minded, Dug, Randy Thorn as the crazy little sister, Sandy, and Cloris Leachman’s cynical Gran providing a lot of fun laughs throughout the picture while Catherine Keener’s Ugga does provide a nice foil to Grug and the two of them have a sweet relationship. I will say though I wish we got more of Ugga interacting with Eep more as even though their mother, and daughter their relationship wasn’t very fleshed out. Sill the dynamic between all of them is very fun to watch and they are certainly character I wouldn’t mind seeing again.
All in all I find the Croods to be a somewhat underappreciated film from Dreamworks and one that serves as a worthy part of their filmography. I may not consider one of my favorites of their as it is a bit on the conventional side in certain areas, can be pretty uneven, and I would’ve like to have seen more of certain elements yet I am still able to really enjoy it due to the well executed premise, the solid comedy, a great message, the imaginative world in which it takes place, the stunning visuals, some great voice acting, and a wacky family that is blast to hang out with. I actually may have looked it more on this re watch and I am looking forward to seeing what the creative team was able to come up with for the sequel. It’s another solid effort from the animation studio and another reason why Chris Sanders is a big talent in the animation field, and how good he is at crafting stories concerning strange relationships that have a lot of heart to them.
Rating: B+
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