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In 2013’s The Croods, a petrified prehistoric family set out into a world filled with predators to find a new home. And now, in The Croods: A New Age, they end up facing a new and terrifying challenge: other people and their completely different way of life.
The Croods: A New Age continues the journey to safety with the prehistoric family and their teenage friend, Guy (voiced by Ryan Reynolds). After fighting through the dangerous wilderness, their journey leads them to a beautiful garden filled with everything they could want. It just happens to be inhabited by an evolved family called the Bettermans, who were friends with Guy’s family long ago. But while most Croods would be perfectly happy staying in this safe paradise, dad Grug (Nicolas Cage) and daughter Eep (Emma Stone), don’t like the change.
Though it takes place thousands of years ago in a very different world, The Croods: A New Age is basically an animated version of a pretty typical teenage rom-com…only with more prehistoric monsters. Though the Croods find themselves struggling with the Bettermans’ unfamiliar way of life (Walls! Doors! Windows! Beds!), most of the drama revolves around Eep and Guy, their obvious differences, and the triangle that forms with the Bettermans’ sheltered teenage daughter, Dawn (Kelly Marie Tran). It goes through the same formulas: the same setup and conflict and resolution—with prehistoric dangers to give it more action and laughs.
While the kids are giggling about the Croods’ antics, though, grown-ups will at least have something to look at. The animation and design here are, in true DreamWorks style, absolutely stunning. The family’s journey takes them through dangerous terrain to bright, vibrant gardens full of flowers and streams and unusual creatures—and on to the Bettermans’ big, imaginative tree house. And it’s all bold and colorful and eye-popping.
Still, for those who found the Croods to be incredibly irritating in the first movie…well they’re not a whole lot better this time around, but they pale in comparison to the Bettermans. From their passive-aggressive manipulation to Phil Betterman’s hideous man bun and flip-flops, they’re cringe-worthy characters—but, on the bright side, they make the Croods look a whole lot more lovable.
This certainly isn’t a smart or sophisticated animated movie. The characters are either bumbling or irritating (or both), and the story is unsurprising. It’s not the kind of movie that will keep adult viewers captivated—but kids will still enjoy the silly comedy.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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