The Croods 3D

The Croods 3D

For rebellious teenager Eep (Emma Stone) caveman life is a bit of a drag.  It’s all hunting, gathering and sticking to the boring rules laid down by her over-protective father Grug (Nicolas Cage) whose mantra of “Fear keeps us alive.  Never not be afraid” has so far kept alive the Crood family; mom Ugga (Catherine Keener), brawny, meat head brother Thunk (Clark Duke), ancient crone Gran (Cloris Leachman) and feral baby sister Sandy, while all of their neighbours have succumbed to disease, starvation and predators.  Change is bad and curiosity kills believes Grug but, like any teenager, all Eep wants is her own space and not to stay cooped up in the family cave all the time.  She wants the freedom the Sun represents to her, climbing the cliff wall of their valley to feel its dying embers as it sets.

Life changes for Eep when she meets and is smitten by the mysterious Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a nomad who’s harnessed the secret of fire and whose only friend and companion is the pet sloth he wears as a belt, named appropriately enough, Belt who has a flair for the dramatic.  “Pets are animals who don’t eat you,” explains Guy.  Believing the apocalyptic End Of The World is coming, Guy and Belt are just passing through on their way to higher ground where Guy believes he’ll be safe. 

When an earthquake (caused by the splitting of the continents) destroys the family cave, Grug and the Croods must conquer their fear of the outside world and follow Eep and Guy on the adventure of a lifetime, braving the jungle beyond their desert valley and the strange creatures who live there, as they search for a new home.

The prehistoric adventures of a modern Stone Age family, there’s very little that’s original or surprising about The Croods but there doesn’t have to be.  It’s undemanding, slapstick fun for the whole family with a few good anachronistic gags thrown in for good measure (the invention of shoes and the snapshot particular highlights) where the main conflict isn’t with the animals trying to eat them or the ground tearing itself apart beneath their feet but the familiar battle between father and teenage daughter.

The animation is visually stunning and the 3D pleasingly immersive as the sweetly rendered Neanderthal Croods explore a lush Avatar-like jungle full of fantastical Maurice Sendak-esque hybrid critters among them giant land-dwelling whales, a flock of piranha-like birds and possibly prehistory’s cutest predator a giant, parrot-hued, sabre tooth kitten.  With her wide face, squat body and muscular arms and thighs, the Neanderthal Eep is a robust, relatable, kick-ass heroine who’s far more physical and able than the more thoughtful Guy and it’s refreshing that The Croods presents the chunky gal to its young audience, rather than the usual Disney princess-type, as a positive female role model.

While Ryan Reynolds is bland as the dreamy Guy and Catherine Keener and Cloris Leachman are just stereotypical caring mom and feisty granny respectively, young kids will love Clark Duke’s oafish Thunk and the ferocious baby Sandy but it’s the sparring Emma Stone and Nicolas Cage who are the heart of the film, Emma Stone’s husky tones animating the sweet but headstrong Eep while Nicolas Cage gives his most restrained, funny and touching performance in years as the caveman dad out of step with changing times.

While it plays pretty safe, there’s nothing too scary here for the kids, and it may not be as evolved as its Pixar competitors, The Croods is a smart, wildly entertaining kids’ film that at the very least Wrecks Ralph.

David Watson

Directed by:

Chris Sanders and Kirk De Micco

Written by:

Kirk De Micco and Chris Sanders

Produced by:

Kristine Belson and Jane Hartwell

Starring:

Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman and Clark Duke

Genres:

Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family

Language:

English

Runtime:

1 hour 39 minutes

Certificate:

U

UK Release Date:

Friday 22^nd March 2013

Rating:

4/5