Os Croods

In my life as a parent of a 10 and 12 year old, I have been to see a lot of animated kids movies, some of them quite painful to sit through. This one ranks at the top. The action, the humor, the characters, the plot, all rolled up in to a big ball of fun. I was belly laughing with my kids the whole way through it. And the message is lovely to boot. Excellent casting...the chemistry between the characters stood out in a way I never thought a cartoon could, no doubt due to the talent of the actors and standout animation (not something that I'm usually all that dazzled by.) It was the interaction, along with thoughtful humor of what is important in life, that really put this over the top for me. The complete implausibility of the plot didn't even mildly annoy me, the way stories of this genre sometimes do.

I could actually stand to watch this a second time. Well done Hollywood, please put this level of thought in to more children's movies.

The Croods, a name most bizarre to be given as a title of a movie, but the content, just fantastic! I may even add to say that Dreamworks has lived up to its expectations in delivering exceptionally amazing animated movies and their latest release, The Croods is no exception. The story begins by introducing us to a rather diverse family of a couple, their three children and an old grandmother(who just wouldn't die) and setting is a prehistoric age where they are supposedly the only living humans. The movie then goes on to bring an extra character just named "Guy" and his sidekick Belt(an animal) who goes on to proclaim that the end of the world is near and their only hope for survival was to aim for the mountains far ahead. A simple plot it seems no doubt, but the way the movie was crafted was just fantastic and if that wasn't enough, you might actually find yourself laughing a couple of times no matter what age you might be of. There might be many movies out there to be watched but "The Croods" is a film which is guaranteed to be enjoyed. It might not be the best film out there, but it certainly is a great one which has its own comedic and adventurous moments, a movie for the whole family out there and to all those who prefer watching it in 3-D, the effects are seriously good in this film and your choice would be a valid one. All in all, no matter what age you may be, "The Croods" might just bring back a smile or a few memories of those old childhood fantasies where anything was possible.

From DreamWorks studios comes its latest animated adventure, the prehistoric family comedy The Croods. It is a slapstick-heavy family movie that should delight young children and keep parents entertained.

The Croods are the last remaining family in an arid desert landscape. They have survived by following family patriarch Grug's (Nicolas Cage) rules to the letter, including staying in the cave after dark and fearing anything that seems new (new is BAAAD). Despite this, teenage daughter Eep (Emma Stone) wants to break free and rebels against her father, which results in a chance meeting with the highly inventive Guy (Ryan Reynolds), who warns her that the end of the world is nigh. When the Croods' cave is destroyed, the family is forced on a journey into a strange new world where Grug's rules clash with Guy's techniques for survival.

The Croods is a formulaic movie that sticks to a traditional hero's journey and relies on typical archetypes, but it's elevated by the writing and direction of Kirk DeMicco and How to Train Your Dragon's Chris Sanders. Like Sanders' previous work, The Croods focuses on a family's dynamic and relationships. This time, the focus is on a protective father who wants to protect his family physically and protect his daughter from a member of the opposite sex who suddenly challenges his position as the alpha male. While the trailers and first half of the movie made is seem Eep was the main character, it's actually Grug who goes through the greatest change and learns the biggest lessons.

The story is one about learning, exploring, and using one's intelligence. It also touches on the idea that it's unhealthy to live a sheltered life. But at times, the movie lays it on a bit too much with Guy and his "solutions" leaving Grug on the losing end.

Most of the humour used in The Croods is very physical and slapstick oriented. Characters have Loony Toons levels of invincibility as they endure intense physical pain. This type of humour obviously appeals to fairly young children, but I would be lying if I said I did not laugh at the film at all. The Croods avoids using crude toilet humour to generate cheap laughs. There is not much in the way of verbal humour, but there are some running gags, and modernisms are kept to a minimum. They are still there but they are more putting modern products in a Stone Age setting, a little like The Flintstones, so they serve more as pop-cultural winks to adults.

As expected from a DreamsWork movie the animation is fantastic. It's quick and fluid, and the camera flows nicely as it follows the action. The Croods themselves have a seemingly unpleasant, bulky design to them but it actually works in the context of the film because the characters live in the wild, so big and broad makes sense. It is a little refreshing to see the main female character is not made out to be a stunning beauty, but rather someone who has been shaped by her environment. The beginning of the movie starts with in dry, mono-coloured landscapes before we get to see the bright colours of the jungle and continually seeing the weird creature reminiscence of designs of Sanders' previous works.

Like other animated movies these days, The Croods has a big name voice cast and they also do a decent, if standard job. No one disgraces themselves. Cage is an unusual choice, but he gives a strong performance. There is only one time when Cage is let off the handle; Unfortunately, that is when we are experiencing the most modernism the movie has to offer.

The Croods is not going to match the heights of DreamsWorks major hits of Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon. But it certainly does not belong with the dregs the studio has to offer. It does what it sets out to do: make a movie that will please children while attempting to give a positive message and some heart. It has an old-fashioned sense of humour that leads to a surprisingly enjoyable animated movie.

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Dreamworks have been hit and miss for me(mostly hits), while I love The Prince of Egypt and How to Train Your Dragon, Shark Tale and Bee Movie left me underwhelmed. Watching the trailer for The Croods, admittedly I wasn't entirely impressed. But as I love animation so much and because I believe in giving any film a chance, I went ahead and watched The Croods anyway. And it was much better than anticipated and what the trailer made it out to be, in fact I found myself liking The Croods very much. I did think that the ending was a cop-out, it seemed to me that the film didn't know how or when it was going to end and it seemed too convenient also. And I also thought that the film was a little too long, some of the story structure towards the end seemed on the verge of petering out. The animation however is really wonderful, it is detailed and very colourful with the character designs well modelled and convincing in movement. If you see The Croods, try and see it in 3D if you can, I am usually not a fan of the 3D gimmick but this is one of those instances where the action is enhanced instead of the 3D detracting from it. At the top of my head, only the Vincent Price film House of Wax(also given the 3D treatment) has had that effect on me. The soundtrack is rousing and lively, though appropriately subdued in the more touching moments. The dialogue is very funny and extremely smart, with much to entertain children and adults. It is quite sophisticated in tone, although it thankfully doesn't feel too much. Amongst the humour, there's also room for some morals and family issues, and they are nicely done without being too heavy-handed. The story doesn't exactly break new ground and will seem formulaic to some. On the other hand, it is briskly paced, consistently engaging and is heart-warming in more ways than one. The prehystorical slapstick is frantic, but hilarious and never too childish. The characters are also a large part of the fun, they are very likable and amusing characters and you can relate to them. Grug and Guy's relationship was especially convincing. The voice work is great. A more restrained than usual Nicholas Cage is a big surprise and he is an ideal fit for his character. Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds are equally appealing, and Cloris Leachman relishes some of The Croods' most amusing moments. In conclusion, great colourful fun without being among the very finest from Dreamworks. 8/10 Bethany Cox

No doubt aimed at the younger audience, it's still a good movie for adults.

It has good animation, and good humour.