The Croods

The Croods is a 2013 animated movie from  produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Featuring the voices of Nicholas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman, it is a fun filled adventure & comedy movie based on a prehistoric family and some animals who are on the move, a trek through a dangerous jungle to find a new home. It’s also about family, a father’s love for his family and bonding. The film is set in a fictional prehistoric Pliocene era known as The Croodaceous (hence the Croods).

Epe is an adventurous girl living with her cavemen family but dad Grug doesn’t allow much freedom for her to explore. Their family – rounded wife Ugga, baby daughter Sandy, dumb son Thunk and Ugga’s mother Gran – is one of the few to survive, mainly due to the strict rules of her overprotective father. They spend most of their time huddled in a cave when not hunting for food, which is scarce. To enforce the over-cautiouness Grug tells tales with a character who mirrors Eep’s curious nature and who dies after exploring something new. However one night Epe ignores her father’s advice and leaves the cave when she sees a light moving outside. That s when she meets Guy, a clever and inventive caveboy who tells her that the world is about to end and asks her to come with him. Oh and Guy has a pet sloth named Belt. She doesn’t but before he goes he gives her a noise-making shell to call him if she needs help. Guy is caught by Grug who also ground Epe and brings her back to the family. An earthquake occurs and destroys the cave and the family goes over the wreckage to see a lush new world, much different from their barren desert like land and they make their way through it to find a new cave.

When they are attacked by a swarm of “Piranhakeets” Eep sounds a horn similar to that which Guy gave her. Guy hears this and rushes to her. Thinking quickly, he creates a torch of fire, which scares the birds away. The other Croods are captivated by the fire, having never seen it before. They steal Guy’s torch and accidentally set the land around them in flames. After feeling impressed by Guy’s intelligence and ‘ideas’, Grug bottles him in a hollow log to carry him in, then suggests that they take solitude in the cave of a nearby mountain mentioned by Guy. Guy is forcibly persuaded to lead the way and learns of the Croods’ way of living, which he thinks of as unusual. Grug feels challenged when Guy ides to lure some animals is successful and the family is able to eat a hearty meal and later when Guy’s story about a paradise he calls “tomorrow” seems to enthrall the rest of them. The next day Guy uses his intelligence to make up “shoes” so that they can walk over a path coated in spiked rocks. This gains him some respect from the others except for Grug, who feels jealous of Guy’s cleverness. Inspired by Guy, Ugga & Gran use flowers as camouflage to get them & Sandy through carnivorous plants. Thunk makes a pet as he befriends a crocodile-like dog he calls Douglas, and Eep and Guy grow closer while Grug is stranded in a ravine forcing Ugga to go back for him. Trying to show up Guy, Grug comes up with ridiculous ideas which all fail. They soon reach the mountain where Grug is unable to convince the family that settling in a nearby cave is a better option. Angry, he attacks Guy. The two become stuck in tar and Guy reveals his family died drowning in it and their last words inspired his traditions of “Tomorrow.” Grug has a change of heart towards Guy and he and Guy trick Chunky into freeing them by pretending to be a female “Macawnivore” in trouble.

Later an earthquake opens a deep ravine in their path just as they are about to reach what seems to be their destination. As smoke fills the horizon, Grug comes to the conclusion that he can use his strength to get the others across. Grug throws each of them across the gap and reconciles with Eep while creating the first hug with her. Grug then throws her across the ravine and is left behind. As the edges crumbles down Grug takes shelter in a cave but is cornered by the Macawnivore who attacks him until Grug’s torch is accidentally blown out, panicking them both. As they get the fire going again, Chunky the Macawnivore  lies near Grug for comfort, who then has his first good idea. Using a large skeleton rib and a bigger torch, Grug manages to lure the Piranhakeets into transporting himself, Chunky, Douglas, and several other animals across the ravine, barely escaping the oncoming “end” destruction. They then reach their destination, a paradise like land with a huge beach and plenty of greenery and blue waters. The now extended family of cavemen and animal friends settles down for more adventurous lives and happiness.

Fun and exciting throughout perfect for a guy suffering a bad cold this afternoon and watching it from his bed. 8.5 outta 10! It’s for the whole family to enjoy. A sequel has already been announced and even a tv show as a spinoff.