The Croods Review
The Croods are a stone age family that are focused of surviving and not the least bit interested in anything new or different that could shake up there cozy safe cave. Except for Eep that is. Eep (Emma Stone) is the daughter of the Croods and she wants to live more than survive, she seeks the sunlight while her father, Grug (Nicholas Cage) bushes them all into the dark cave. It was great to see, or rather hear Nicholas Cage in a good role because it has quite frankly been quite a while since I've seen him in a good one. He plays the the very funny no nonsense scared of anything different or new, father that wants whats best for his family but cant always make the right calls. Then there are the other Croods.
There is the mother Ugga (Catherine Keener) who wants whats best for the family but is in entirely unfamiliar territory so doesn't know who 's side to take. Thunk (Clark Duke) the younger son, a real daddy's boy who has pendekar worship for his father and is one of those loveable dumb characters that doesn't serve the movie any but doesn't harm it either. Sandy (Randy Thom) the feral baby who is a little ball of energy, shes really just fun and that's OK in a kids animated movie. Gran played by Cloris Leachman, who has earned her unwritten title as one of the great bad-ass old ladies, if you need a cynical old lady that you can believe can kick your ass then Leachman is your lady, I loved her so much.
One day Eep notices a mysterious light coming from outside the cave and leaves the cave in the night. The light is in fact fire, that is being carried by a new traveler, named Guy (really) and played by Ryan Reynolds... NO! OK that was a joke, Ryan Reynolds is actually pretty good as Guy being more of a modern man when he is surrounded by more narrow-minded individuals, but he also comes with his own sidekick as-well as my favorite character, Belt.
Belt (voiced by Chris Sanders the director) is a pink Sloth and Guy's cook, navigator, conversationalist as-well as helps him to suspend his pants above his waist (who knew that the original belt had so many uses). He is an adorable sidekick character that I loved throughout the movie. He is cute, funny and I wanted to see a whole movie of him, or a spinoff TV show or something like that, whatever gets me more Belt.
The movies plot and direction is handled by Chris Sanders who is responsible for such other great animated treasures like Lilo & Stitch and How to Train your Dragon (I bet Disney regrets letting him go now). Sanders is building is way up as one of my favorite animation directors, although I doubt that he'll ever knock Miyazaki of from the top spot. He knows what works and what doesn't and he either avoids the old worn out cliches or fleshes out the elements that let them down in other weaker forms.
As stated at the start, this movie is The Finstones on LSD if that idea interests you then this is the movie for you, if not then see what will most likely be a weaker movie. Is this what its like to be on drugs? well my drug history is so boring as to be nonexistent, but I admit-tingly do have a weakness for the syreal, colorful and the psychedelic so this movie really hit me me in my weak spot. The shear imagination to the creatures are a wonder to, there are flying turtles, an Owl-Lion and so many more that I could probably spend a whole review talking about how much I liked and loved about them.
The Croods is safe in its humor, characters and plot but exceptional on the visual front of things with some of the best visuals and imagination that I've seen... maybe ever. The children will enjoy the movie but there's also enough dry comedy for the adults to get more than a chuckle out of too. The Croods is a great experience for the whole family and for the individual, but isn't a family movie better if you see it with your family.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 4
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