‘The Croods’ is light family entertainment

The Croods is a light piece of family entertainment.

The latest offering from DreamWorks Animation, it lacks the depth and crossover appeal of the best of last year’s crop of animated films. Still, it’s a fun movie and sure to please young children.

The Croods tells the story of a family of cavemen who live their lives by a simple maxim: Never not be afraid. Anything new is to be avoided or destroyed, curiosity is a bad thing, and all problems can be solved by running back to the cave.

Eep (Emma Stone) is a teenaged cave girl who chafes under her family’s rules, frequently clashing with her father, Grug (Nicolas Cage). When Eep meets Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a modern (in the anthropological sense) human, she is fascinated and smitten. Guy tells Eep that the world is ending, and soon enough, her family’s cave is destroyed. Forced out into the wide world, the Croods must team up with Guy and learn that, in order to survive, they’ll have to start doing things differently.

Visually, The Croods is quite distinctive.

Rather than allow itself to be bound by paleontology, the film’s world is populated by fancifully imagined creatures that, while inspired by actual animals, never really existed.

Whimsically designed and brightly colored, these creatures really give the movie a distinctive atmosphere. The same can also be said for the film’s fanciful landscapes, and although I didn’t see it in 3D, I believe that The Croods is probably a film whose viewing would be enhanced by the technology.

On the acting front, The Croods is pretty hit and miss.

On the one hand, Stone and Reynolds do a pretty good job voicing Eep and Guy. Neither is going to be winning Annie Awards for their performances, but they certainly do a fine job bringing two charming and relatable characters to the screen.

Cage, on the other hand, is pretty uneven as Grug. From the first time he speaks, it is clear that Grug is being played by Nicolas Cage, and I never fully got a feeling for the character separate from the actor. On the other hand, Cage’s performance doesn’t sabotage the movie, and it does have some pretty entertaining bits.

In terms of plot, this is a pretty surface level film.

Last year featured multiple animated films with serious crossover appeal. DreamWorks’ Rise of the Guardians, Pixar’s Brave and Laika’s ParaNorman all featured stories able to appeal to viewers of all ages. ParaNorman in particular was notable for both the quality and sophistication of its storytelling.

The Croods, on the other hand, is pretty exclusively geared towards children, particularly younger ones. While parents certainly won’t be bored, they’re not going to be getting a lot from it, other than seeing their kids happy.

At the same time, this movie does have a sweet heart, and the values it espouses are certainly wholesome. It’s also blessedly free of shoe-horned pop culture references and product placements, something that I certainly appreciated.

The best part about the film’s plot is the light thread of dark comedy that runs throughout. The Croods is a very innocent movie, but there are a number of little bits of black humor that really spice it up. In particular, a running joke about Grug being disappointed every time he learns that his mother-in-law hasn’t died yet is pure gold.

So, should you see The Croods? Normally, I’d recommend this only to those with children. Yet, we’re still in the middle of a bit of a cinematic drought, and The Croods does have a number of entertaining parts. Additionally, its unique visual style and fun creature designs are almost worth buying a ticket for in and of themselves.

So, if you are in the mood for a light spirited piece of family entertainment, consider The Croods. At the very least, it’ll put a smile on your face.

Posted by Bera B. Dunau on April 4, 2013. Filed under Arts and Entertainment,Columns,Movie Reviews,Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry