The Croods-reviewed by Melissa Milo 4/7/13
The Croods is a well-animated, prehistoric film that not only includes adventure and silly jokes kids will love, but heartwarming moments and an engaging theme of enlightenment as well.
Immediately the female lead, Eep (voiced by Emma Stone), is a relatable teenager who just wants some excitement in her life that doesn’t include hunting and sitting in a cave. The most important relationship we see in the film is the father-daughter connection between Eep and her dad, Grug (voiced by Nicolas Cage). The two obviously love each other, however Eep wants to explore and Grug he wants her safe at home in the cave which leads to controversy between the pair. As soon as the enlightened character, Guy (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) shows up the whole family learns new ways to do things from him, such as set up a trap instead of chasing their dinner or wear shoes. The only person who does not agree with all these new things is Grug who would much rather conserve the old way of life. However with on point character development, Grug comes around to the new things as well as Guy learning to respect Grug’s ideas too. Eep and her father also mend a fractured relationship in the end with a surprisingly emotional scene including a life or death situation.
Despite the unanticipated (in a good way) heavy themes and thrilling action sequences, the movie was overall quite cute. The comedy was transcendent thanks to skillful writing and the talented cast who really brought life to the characters. Although the humans were great, the fantastical creatures created for the film were marvelous and colorful, like turtle-birds and giant owl-cats. Also the sloth named Belt (because he also cleverly serves as a belt for Guy’s pants) is adorable and has just the right amount of personality for a children’s movie. The only problem one might see in The Croods is the quick movement with the humans and their facial expressions. It was sometimes hard to catch the exact expression on the people’s faces and it made watching somewhat frustrating. However there were no other problems as far as animation goes, the entirety of details and textures was impressive.
All in all The Croods was a lovely film that kids will most definitely enjoy as well as even some adults. This movie will make audiences laugh, cry, and smile with it’s splendidly outlandish creatures, deadpan humor, emotionally moving scenes, and captivating animation. The Croods gets two thumbs up from me and will surely get two thumbs up from others.    8/10 
