Director: Kirk De Micco, Chris Sanders.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman, Clark Duke, Chris Sanders, Randy Thom.
Running Time: 98 minutes.
Certificate: U.
Synopsis: Follow the world’s first family as they embark on a journey of a lifetime when the cave that has always shielded them from danger is destroyed. Travelling across a spectacular landscape, the Croods discover an incredible new world filled with fantastic creatures, and their outlook is changed forever.
With Pixar reigning supreme in the world of animation, many studios have been trying to live up to their hype. DreamWorks’ latest project THE CROODS may not have the same magic, but it is very nearly there.
The film starts with Eep (Emma Stone) telling the story of her weird but wonderful family and how they survived monsters and the common cold as their father, Grug (Nicolas Cage), hides them away in a cave. Who would have thought that the prehistoric era could be made so relevant, and you can just hear the younger audience sighing with relief knowing that parents nagged just as much back then, too.
The first half an hour is more of an observation of how the family survive rather than plot, as we watch them hunting for food and see some of the funny characters come to life like Gran (Cloris Leachman) and baby Sandy (Randy Thom). Enter Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a handsome young boy with an animal sidekick, Belt (Chris Sanders), who could give Abu and ALADDIN a run for their money. Discovering him one night when she leaves the family’s cave, Guy warns Eep of an impending change, and that is when the true heart of the film kicks in, becoming a funny and heartwarming road trip film about an out of the loop family who discover everything about how to live in the new world.
With some great little moments throughout, it is the cast that tops everything. Unlikely voiceover Emma Stone puts her famous raspy voice to great use as Eep, but it is Nicolas Cage as overly zealous dad, Grug, who will make you smile the most. However, there is nothing that particularly stands out with THE CROODS, even though it is a good family film that will keep all ages entertained. The 3D and visuals are absolutely incredible and will have you in awe, but there is only so far you can rely on pretty colours to keep an audience entertained. Luckily for DreamWorks, with the British weather keeping most of us indoors, this film could not have been released at a better time.
THE CROODS is released in UK cinemas on March 22nd.
