Synopsis:
The first prehistoric family is ready for another rocking adventure! The Croods have survived fanged beasts, natural disasters, and even young love, but now they must face their biggest challenge yet: another family! In search of a new home, the Croods discover a walled-in paradise created by the sophisticated Betterman family (emphasis on the “better”). As they try to coexist, the differences between the two families escalate into a full-blown feud, but when a new threat forces both families to embark on an epic adventure, they must all learn to work together…or they’ll all go extinct!
What We Thought:
The Croods: A New Age is just delightful. I enjoyed the first movie quite a bit, but I honestly believe this one might be better. There are scenes I genuinely laughed out loud at, watching it by myself, a grown man without children.
This does everything the first film did that I liked. Even animated, Nicolas Cage gets to do his Nicolas Cage thing. Even animated, Ryan Reynolds is shirtless a lot. It’s colorful. It’s comical. It’s musical. It’s fun for adults, kids, families and everyone in between.
Cage is a caveman dad and he just wants to keep his pack together along with Guy (Reynolds) who we met in the first film. They are on a quest to find Tomorrow. This new film has the returning cast of Cage, Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener. Clark Duke and Cloris Leachman and adds Peter Dinklage, Leslie Mann and Kelly Marie Tran as The Bettermans. The Betterman family lives in a walled off world full of food, water, a treehouse and easy living. They were friends with Guy’s family and they want Guy to be with their daughter. He should be with his own kind, not the Croods. There are all kinds of shenanigans between Cage’s dad character and Dinklage’s dad character. Keener’s mom character butts heads with Mann’s mom character. Mann would steal the film if it wasn’t for Leachman who I’ll get to in a bit. Despite it being a paradise, everyone is at each other until a threat comes along and the third act goes bananas. (Watch the film, you’ll get my reference)
I had so much fun watching this movie. I wish I saw it in a packed theater with a crowd roaring in laughter. There is a lot to laugh at. There’s plenty of adventure and creatures. Plus they give Cloris Leachman’s Gran character a backstory that pays off in the third act. The late Leachman is so good in the film. I’ve been a fan for years and knowing this is one of her last roles is sad, but man does she kill in this movie. I literally clapped at a scene when her backstory starts paying off. Again, I was alone watching this and I clapped to myself.
Disney/Pixar gets all the love and awards in animated films, but I can say without a doubt, Dreamworks’ latest, The Croods: A New Age, is one of the best animated films in years. I would 100% watch it again especially in a double feature with the first film. If you liked the first film, if your kids/family liked the first film, then this is…
HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
BONUS FEATURES:
- DEAR DIARY: WORLD’S FIRST PRANKS – In this exclusive original short film, Eep reveals how a comical accident led her and Dawn to discover the joys of tricking their families and set about performing “the world’s first pranks”
- FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT: LITTLE RED BRONANA BREAD – In another exclusive original short, join the Croods as they settle down for a very prehistoric family movie night experience. With shadowy figures around every corner, Eep must keep Gran and her delicious Bronana Bread safe from punch monkeys.
- GAG REEL
- TO: GERARD – In this original DreamWorks animated short, an elderly man brightens the day of a little girl through magic.
- DELETED SCENES
- THE CROODS’ FAMILY ALBUM – Meet the actors who portray the Croods and their new cast members, the Bettermans. What makes them tick, how do they resemble their characters and what lessons have they learned from making the film.
- THE EVOLUTION OF… – In this fun making of, we hear from the filmmakers and stars of THE CROODS: A NEW AGE about the evolution of the Croods franchise.
- HOW TO DRAW: CAVEMAN STYLE – Join one of DreamWorks talented illustrators inside the cave as they demonstrate how to draw our favorite characters.
- FAMILEAF ALBUM – Inspired by the prehistoric family album given to guy by the Betterman’s, we create a fun video showing you how to make your own using real leaves or green construction paper for pages and string (or even dental floss!) to hold it all together.
- STONE AGE SNACK ATTACK – A three-part featurette highlighting fun, easy to make recipes that kids and parents can make together.
- FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR JOEL CRAWFORD, PRODUCER MARK SWIFT, HEAD OF STORY JANUEL MERCADO AND EDITOR JIM RYAN
The Nerds Templar 