The Croods Review

In one of my most recent rants I talked about the evolution of children's movies and how they aren't just for kid's anymore. If you didn't read that, well...fuck you, but keep reading this anyways. The Croods has been on my radar for a while, but was never a movie that I was really interested in. I thought it looked a little too much like a generic kid's movie to be really enjoyable. I was mostly right.

The Croods is really a movie for two people: kid's and parents. While some people may argue that I am still one of those (I can't say I disagree, but that's besides the point), I am not really in either of those demographics. The entirety of the film revolves around a family of cave...people(?) and the adventure they embark on when continental drift destroys their home (read: shithole cave.) They meet up with a evolved caveman (human, perhaps) who helps them hone their skills outside of the cave.

My biggest problem with this film was the script. It really felt like the script was pandering towards two people: a) kids and b) really stupid people. Those two groups around mutually exclusive, but you know that I mean. The script throws history out the door 90% of the time and just made me want to stab something. I understand it's a kid's movie, but what is the point of straight up making pointless changes like that? It's just plain stupid.

The acting was as good as you would expect from an animated film. You never get real stand out performances in a movie like this, and this movie was no exception. Nic Cage was pretty solid (which feels weird to say, because I usually find his voice to be nauseating.) Emma Stone was her usual quirky self, but nothing special. Ryan Reynolds was probably the strongest member of the cast, but not by much. Everyone was just...slightly above average.

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This movie is a really good family movie, but has nothing for anyone other than that. Pretty much anyone between the ages of 13 and 30 won't find this movie that entertaining, and older people will just enjoy it with their kids. It's definitely not DreamWorks' best work, but also not their worst (aka Bee Movie). This is pretty similar to their last film Rise of the Guardians, but a little more geared towards the younger audience. I'm hoping that they can rebound with Turbo later this year.

Writing: 4/10

Directing: 5/10

Acting: 5.5/10

Pacing: 6/10

Rewatchability: 5/10

Score: 5.1/10