Movie Review: The Croods

Benson, K. & Hartwell, J. (Producer). DeMicco, K. & Sanders, C. (Director). (2013). The Croods. [Motion picture]. United States: DreamWorks Animation. 98 minutes

Primary genre: Fantasy

Other elements: romance, family, survival, humor, coming of age

Rated: PG

Synopsis:

Of all the Neanderthals that once populated this area the only family to have survived is the Croods and this is only because they followed Grug’s simplistic view of the world: Never don’t be afraid. Grug’s view of finding safety in the cave has become a struggle for his oldest daughter, Eep, lately. But, when changes come to everything that the family knows, they have to face the great unknowns of a world that is falling apart. Eep is finally given the chance to escape the dark confines she hates and explore the world. With the guidance of Guy the family sets out on an search to find a better land and a better way of living.

Review:

Despite the PG rating and animated aspect this is a story that will appeal to a broad range of viewers. This movie, like many animated films now, inserts little jokes and scenes that may fly over children’s heads but are included to entertain older viewers. I only saw this as the traditional movie, I don’t usually watch 3-D movies. It was very visually stunning; the creators opted to make their own prehistoric animals rather than use actual ones. Everything was bright and colorful and very fast paced; about every five minutes the family was being chased by something.

The ideas of change and adaptation were very prominent in the story; their entire world is falling apart so to survive they cannot continue to hide in their cave. The issues that Eep and Guy face are what would most interest older tweens and teens. They are both young and experiencing that first attraction and finally noticing another person as something more than a family member or friend.

I liked that the movie gave Eep and Gurg the chance to reconcile. The issue of increasing need for independence on the child’s part is one that many tweens and teens face. Parents (like Gurg) are not always understanding of this increasing need and this can create a great amount of friction between parent and child. The movie illustrated this perfectly and gave both parties the chance to admit where they were wrong and find a way to work around the issue.