The Croods 3D Review

Rated PG (Some Scary Action)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 38 Minutes

Cast (voice)-

Emma Stone-Eep

Nicolas Cage-Grug

Catherine Keener-Ugga

Clark Duke-Thunk

Cloris Leachman-Gran

Ryan Reynolds-Guy

Chris Sanders-Belt the Sloth

Directed by Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders

DreamWorks Animation's "The Croods" is 2013's first major animated film but will it do big business at the box office?

Note: Screened on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at AMC Loews 34th Street 14.

It's always surprising how one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. Last year, the overall domestic box office came in at a record-breaking $10.83 billion but the picture wasn't so rosy for DreamWorks Animation. Spun off as a separate company in 2004 with former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg as CEO, the animation studio has always played second-fiddle to Pixar due to their overreliance on sequels, and the quality of their work has been mixed at best, often emphasizing slapstick humor and satire over story (i.e. the "Shrek" series). There's also the fact that some of their films are clearly meant to be launchpads for new franchises, which is always a risky endeavor since it depends on a film's box office gross. A perfect example would be last November's "Rise of the Guardians." Based on a series of children's books by William Joyce, the film was backed up by some pretty impressive credentials, with Guillermo del Toro serving as executive producer and Pulitzer-prize winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire writing the script. Unfortunately, "Rise of the Guardians" flopped at the box office despite earning $302.7 million worldwide. The massive production and marketing costs resulted in an $83 million write-down for DreamWorks Animation and led to 350 employees being laid off. In order to return to profitability, the studio's next few films will have to meet and/or exceed expectations. Kicking things off for 2013 is "The Croods," which has been in development for the better part of eight years and is the first to be distributed by 20th Century Fox. It was originally meant to be an Aardman Animations project but the rights reverted back to DreamWorks after their partnership ended in 2007. Despite its predictable narrative and well-worn themes, there's no doubt that "The Croods" will captivate both adults and kids alike thanks to its colorful cast of characters and gorgeous 3D visuals. Whether it becomes the box office hit DreamWorks is hoping for remains to be seen. 

With his fellow cavemen succumbing to the constant perils of the Stone Age, the Croods' patriarch, Grug (Nicolas Cage), has kept his family safe by following one simple rule: 'Never not be afraid.' Anything 'new' is a danger to their very survival and Grug makes sure that everyone sticks to a strict routine, with the family hunting for food during the day but once the sun goes down, it's back to their cave. However, Grug's headstrong daughter Eep (Emma Stone) finds their current lifestyle suffocating and desperately longs for adventure. One night, she wakes up and notices a strange yellowish light creeping through the cave. With her curiosity peeked, Eep sneaks out to investigate, following the light to a small torch in the ground. Believing it to be a tiny sun, she reacts with fear and amazement to the flame until a boy emerges from the shadows and explains that it is no sun; it is fire. Introducing himself as Guy (Ryan Reynolds), he warns Eep that the world is about to face a cataclysmic event and invites her to come with him. Grug, having discovered that his daughter has disappeared, follows her to Guy but he refuses to listen to what he has to say. As he takes Eep back to the cave, the ground suddenly starts to rumble. The mountain then breaks apart and destroys the Croods' home. Left with nowhere to go, Grug and his family must now put their faith in Guy if they are to survive. 

Formerly envisioned as a stop motion film under the working title "Crood Awakening," "The Croods" is one of the few films from DreamWorks Animation that's based on an original idea and not from a children's book. Opening with a 2D animated prologue designed to look like a cave painting, Eep introduces her family and the harsh rules they live by before the film segues into an extended slapstick sequence. Here, we meet Grug, who is checking to make sure that there are no intruders outside the cave he and his family call home. Once he deems it safe, he and the rest of the Croods kick off their daily hunt for food, which involves fighting off all the other animals over a large bird egg in what looks like a hyperactive game of prehistoric football. Each member plays a vital role, including Grug and his wife's (Catherine Keener) feral infant Sandy, who is deployed like a special weapon with the humorous battle cry, 'Release the baby!' From then on, it's pretty clear where the story is going, with Eep as the rebellious teenage daughter and Grug as her loving yet exasperated, traditionalist father. The catalyst that pushes the Croods outside the safety of their cave is due to the break-up of Pangaea; in this instance, the film bears a passing resemblance to last summer's "Ice Age: Continental Drift." With Guy leading them on their journey (much to the chagrin of Grug), the Croods not only learn about belts, shoes, and the concept of having pets but they also make a number of accidental discoveries. Some of the gags are built around this, which includes popcorn (resulting from the Croods' hilarious mishandling of fire) and the first Polaroid snapshot where paint is splattered onto a slab of rock and everyone just slams their face into it. The broad physical comedy isn't the cleverest but I admit I got quite a laugh out of it. The script from Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders (John Cleese retains a story credit for contributing on the first few drafts) is well-paced, with a nice balance of humor, action, and character development yet largely plays it safe in regards to its structure and themes. It's the classic dysfunctional family transplanted to the Stone Age, with Grug and Guy representing traditional vs. modern values. The film ultimately encourages its viewers to not be afraid of change and that humanity's resiliency comes from their ability to adapt to any situation. Sure, it's not the most inspired but it works thanks to the delightful characters and vibrant animation. 

DreamWorks has once again gathered an all-star voice cast, with Nicholas Cage virtually disappearing into his role as Grug and delivering some of his best work since…well, forever! Emma Stone perfectly captures Eep's teenage restlessness and you can tell she enjoyed voicing the character. Ryan Reynolds gives Guy a modern sensibility with his varied vocabulary and preference for brains over brawn. The rest of the voice cast includes Catherine Keener as Grug's wife Ugga, Clark Duke as their dim-witted son Thunk, and Cloris Leachman as Gran, who is Ugga's mother. Keener is disappointingly underutilized while the latter two are made the butt of several of jokes, with Grug humorously wishing that his mother-in-law would go to in early grave. Visually, "The Croods" is a stunning film. Its use of 3D may not add much but neither does it detract from the overall experience. There's a cavalcade of fantastical creatures from a bear with the eyes of an owl, a saber-tooth tiger with the coloring of a macaw parrot, and a flock of piranha-like birds that consume everything in its path. What's interesting is the way the animators went out of their way to make the Croods look like Neanderthals by giving them wide faces and crooked teeth while Guy resembles modern humans (though no less exaggerated). It creates a sort of role reversal where Eep is more heavy-set compared to the more toned Guy. 

"The Croods" won't be released until March 22, 2013 but it already had its world premiere at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival back in February. The few reviews I've read have ranged from tepid to mildly positive so it'll probably land in the 60% range on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the response from the audience at last Saturday's advance screening was enthusiastic and since this is the first 'major' animated film of the year, it's bound to do big business. Will it put DreamWorks Animation back in the black? That remains to be seen. "The Croods" doesn't earn high marks in the originality department but the film is just too charming and delightful to hate. Kids will definitely love it while adults may surprisingly find themselves enraptured by the film's wholesome themes and visuals.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

"Everything that we're standing on, right here, will be gone! I'm calling it…THE END!"