Good evening everyone! Also, happy Friday the 13th. Yeah, I understand that Friday the 13th is supposed to likely be an infamous holiday. But let’s make it a positive thing for this time around, if not other times as well, shall we? Anyway, before we get into tonight’s review, I ha a a little bit of a story to tell. Before it was confirmed that The Croods 2 was in fact getting released around Thanksgiving of this year, I had actually planned to review a different family-oriented movie around this time. However, with the announcement of the sequel coming out very soon, I figured let’s talk about it’s predecessor very soon, and save what I had planned to discuss before for some other day. With that said, let’s talk about the DreamWorks movie that was released seven to seven and a half years ago. The one and only 2013’s The Croods!
Plot: Grug Crood (voiced by Nicholas Cage), his wife Ugga (Catherine Keener), and their kids live lives of isolation in their cave home after bad things constantly happened to their neighbors. But one day, after their home is destroyed by an earthquake, a traveler named Guy (Ryan Reynolds) attempts to guide the Crood family on a journey the other side. Can they all make it before the area around them most likely gets destroyed by earthquakes, and volcanic activity?
Now, as some of us may recall, DreamWork’s The Croods was released the same year as the 2013 Disney film, Frozen. Seeing as Frozen was a very monumental film for having a really good story, mostly great songs, and an overall very heartfelt story, did The Croods stand much of a chance against Frozen, or any other movies that were released back in that year? Well, let me put it to you guys this way! The Croods may have had more adventure and magic than animated films like Despicable Me 2 (I still have yet to see Ernest & Celestine, and The Wind Rises, which were also nominated for Best Animated Feature back in 2013-2014, before having a day in those films), The Croods doesn’t quite seem to reach the same level, magic, or even heart as Disney’s Frozen. Quite honestly, if Frozen hadn’t come out, until say the spring of 2014, and 2014 had a year where Disney would release Frozen in perhaps March 2014, and Big Hero 6 in November of that same year, chances are The Croods might have had a better possibility of winning the Oscar, or even Golden Globe from that nominees of animated films that were released in 2013. Regardless, The Croods is a mostly good film. First of all, the world building is very creative. Oh, it’s not spectacular, at least not when compared to the world building of other more recent animated animated films. However, the visuals are a rare delight. In fact, The Croods could be enjoyed just as much in 3D, maybe more so than if you watched a regular version that you wouldn’t have to pay as much money on. Some of the animal characters are also creatively rendered, most notably a saber-toothed like cat named Chunky. If you liked Baymax from Big Hero 6, chances are you Mayan I am characters like Chunky the “Macawnivore” as well. It’s also interesting that some people who worked on this film also were associated with other family movies. For one, we had music composer Alan Silvestri. Before The Croods, he composed movie for the live-action and animated movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Lilo & Stitch. Let me tell you, if he didn’t get a nomination for Best Original Score, then he should have. In some instances, his music seems to at least have that vibe of something like How To Train Your Dragon. If you liked the score from any of the How To Train Your Dragon, that should say plenty. We also had Chris Sanders, who voiced Stitch in Lilo & Stitch, as well as made noise for Toothless in the How To Train Your Dragon films. Not to mention that Chris Sanders was one of the directors for The Croods, as well as for Lilo & Stitch and How To Train Your Dragon. Seeing as those were good stories, did Sanders succeed in crafting a good story with The Croods as well? Well, while the story may not feel quite as heartfelt, or lack a lunch as much as those two in particular, The Croods still knows how to pull at your heartstrings to a certain degree as well. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention Sanders voicing Belt the sloth. Okay, even that character doesn’t say much, he is so hysterical with the lines, or noises that he makes. Who wouldn’t want him for a pet? Anyway, this movie also knows how to put in some really good laughs as well. I mean the way that some of the comedy is set up is just pure brilliance. Truth be told, DreamWorks should spend much more time making animated films like this and How To Train Your Dragon, and less films like Trolls, Over The Hedge, and Turbo. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention the fun song that plays during the end credits, called “Shine Your Way,” by Owl City. Okay, that song may not exactly be “Let It Go,” or even “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” or something like that. Still, if you at least want a fun song to listen to, then you’ll like it. One other thing to mention that this film does touch on some very interesting subjects like balancing between being cautious, and having fun in life, and not trying to be controlling of your own life, or the lives of others. The movie also does well with teaching that just because bad things happened to certain other people, that doesn’t give you the right to shield yourself, and/or others from the world. Plus, it’s also nice that this film talks about how new things, and new ideas can benefit for a greater good in the end.
Still, The Croods isn’t without some flaws in the process as well. First of all, while the story is good, it’s not exactly grand. There are one, or two things that keep it from being at the grand level. First off, the film may have felt a little too short. Okay, maybe we don’t want the story to drag. Still, is it too much to ask for an additional 10-20 minutes, something like that? Additionally, even if the main characters were developed very well, there were some, both in the Croods family, as well as some of the animal characters that might have felt little too one note, and don’t seem to stand out quite as well as they could have. There’s also the relationship between Eep and Guy. Okay, HEAR ME OUT!!! Yes, there is some fairly good chemistry between them. The movie also does a fairly good job of spending time with them. However, when compared to other couples like say Hiccup and Astrid (How To Train Your Dragon), Tarzan and Jane (Tarzan), or even Kristoff and Anna (Frozen), and some of those one can tell that maybe Guy and Eep’s relationship could have maybe been fleshed out a little more than it seemed to be in the end. It’s still good. That aspect coukd ha Shust been a little better.
And that’s my review for The Croods. Sure there were a few areas where this film seemed to fall short of it’s perfection. However, the pros far outweigh the cons. Because of this, people are likely to enjoy a good majority of this film from beginning to end. Definitely try to see The Croods, especially if you want to see the second film later this month! You’ll like most of the characters, the music, the amazing animation, and the what amount of heart that there was put into this film.
Final Grade: B+
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 