The Croods: A New Age
(DreamWorks Animation/Universal Pictures)
By Lucas Allen
Back in 2013, “The Croods” was a clever little family adventure full of stunning animation and full of humor. It became an instant family favorite, but audiences had to wait seven long years for the sequel to come along. At last we have “The Croods: A New Age,” bringing more adventure of the world’s first modern family. In the spirit of the holiday season, this one will surely bring families closer together.
Ever since they left their cave, the Croods family continues to survive the wilds of their prehistoric world with the help of their guide Guy (Ryan Reynolds) and his trusty companion, Belt. Patriarch Grug (Nicolas Cage), unfortunately, findsout that his daughter Eep (Emma Stone) is hoping for a new life with boyfriend Guy. Then the family discovers a land full of amazing food they never expect to find. Turns out, the food belongs to the Betterman family, including father Phil (Peter Dinklage), mother Hope (Leslie Mann) and teenage daughter Dawn (Kelly Marie Tran). This evolved family happened to live up a treehouse with a lifestyle that’s certainly unfamiliar to the caveman family.
Soon enough, the Croods find their lives changed from living with the Bettermans, including Ugga (Catherine Keener) enjoying her new room, Thunk (Clark Duke) obsessed with a big window and Gran (Cloris Leachman) remaining her feisty self. Grug isn’t used to his new surroundings, especially when he’s told not to touch any bananas. So, when the fruit suddenly disappears, it unleashes new problems that threaten the lives of both families.
Like any animated sequel, this film certainly tries to go bigger with its story and characters than what the first one had accomplished. The animators had more imagination at their disposal to come up with new places and new ideas for the main characters to discover. Once again, the animation is stunning and the colorful eye candy is irresistible to the senses. But then there’s the unusual nature the filmmakers were pushing for with new creatures the families have to go up against. The imagination starts to absolutely run wild, with prehistoric animal designs too insane for an Ice Age movie. Such ideas include bouncing chickens, spider-wolves and a ravenous porcupine-spiked baboon will make you wonder if you’re watching a kid’s film or an animator’s drug trip.
Still, the humor is on point, with the original with the slapstick comedy increased 10-fold. Some of the cleverness is replaced by the movie’s jaw-dropping weirdness, and you’ll have no idea if you want to laugh or scream. At least, the characters remain lovable and humorous enough to make the whole thing watchable. All in all, the movie can be very entertaining if you can get past the absolute strangeness.
The returning cast members are surely having more fun bringing their personalities to their wacky characters. Watching Cage going animalistic with his performance remains a series highlight, while Stone and Reynolds have surprisingly good chemistry as the young lovers. As for the new cast, they also have a lot of fun with their new roles. Dinklage is delightful as your typical next-door-neighbor with a striking modern tone, while Mann and Marie Tran each have entertaining moments of their own.
Much like The “LEGO Movie 2,” “The Croods: A New Age” sometimes tends to go from one ear and out the other. However, this film is still a reasonably fun adventure for the whole family that’s both hilarious and entertaining. Whether or not we may get a third film, this sequel is still a gentle surprise for anyone who’s survived 2020.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG (for peril, action, and rude humor)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3 Stars (Out of Four)
