Nominated for Best Animated Film in 2013 and grossing nearly $600 million, a sequel for The Croods was always in the works, Dreamworks, that is. Then, an acquisition by Universal got in the way. Finally, someone remembered a profit in excess of $100 million. Now, The Croods: A New Age takes you from “the last chapter of the caveman” to “the first chapter of society.” And, it’s better than the original. Although, I do think that Dreamworks owes a debt of gratitude to Hanna-Barbera Productions and The Flintstones.
Rated PG, the whole family should appreciate The Croods 2, even though the early access cost is $19.99 plus tax. Bright and colorful and full of imagined creatures, youngsters will be enthralled. Teens should enjoy the love triangle between Guy, Eep, and Dawn. Adults will get a kick out of the interplay between the “Neanderthal” Croods and the evolved Bettermans. Everyone will want more of Cloris Leachman as Gran and the Thunder Sisters. I give the film 4.0 Gavels and it receives a 75% Rotten Tomatoes rating with a 94% Audience score.
Plot
Driven from their cave home, Guy and The Croods follow the light to find Tomorrow, a better and safer place to live. Nearly starved, they find paradise, a walled oasis created by the Bettermans. Now, instead of the sleep-pile, they each have their own rooms. Rather than “the pack stays together,” they find “privacy promotes individuality.” To her delight, Eep meets her first girl friend. Everything is new. But, is it really better?
Actors
Ryan Reynolds (Guy), Emma Stone (Eep), Nicolas Cage (Grug), and Peter Dinklage (Phil Betterman), are just a few of the name voices. It is the girls who triumph as Eep teaches Dawn (Kelly Marie Tran – Star Wars IX) that there is a whole new world beyond her walls.
Final Thoughts
“Do cave people belong in the modern world?” Despite all the ingenious inventions of the Bettermans, they have a lot to learn. Both families find that, like spears, words can also be used as weapons. It hurts when Grug and Phil both hear “you’re a bad father.” It’s a good thing that Queen of the Wimmens and The Thunder Sisters come to their rescue.
ABC News reports “inside this manic jumble about a family of prehistoric ‘Flintstones’ knockoffs lies a brightly animated bauble that speaks to the power of staying connected even when forced apart. Pretty good for a cartoon, especially during a pandemic.”
Collider prints “you might walk into The Croods: A New Age wondering why they bothered making a sequel. But you’ll walk out of it wondering why it took so long.”
I have a feeling that Dreamworks can do even better with The Croods 3.
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