This is an animated tale of a teen girl and her natural desire to explore the world and the angst that it causes the father who wants to keep the family safe in a cave...in this case it is not a metaphor. Emma Stone was perfect for our on screen teen girl Eep, complete with her signature crackling voice. The world around them is falling apart and their only chance for survival is to follow the new Guy (Ryan Reynolds) to the objection of Grug (Nicolas Cage).In spite of what sounds like an adult theme, it is aimed at the kids. The comedy is slapstick and simple jokes. The animals are wildly colorful so as to not be frightening as they chase humans. As an adult I didn't find the film boring, yet its lack of depth allowed me to have frequent breaks and not miss any plot points. Eep provides girls with a positive role model, something that is finally becoming the norm in these animated sagas.Cloris Leachman played the voice of Gran, most likely because Betty White was too busy playing football. Great film for the kids, so-so for adults.

When I first saw this movie in trailers and pictures I was certainly not a fan of the premise. I am not a huge fan of movies that are set in this era like Ice Age and several others but just yesterday I wanted to give the movie a chance and I was pleasantly surprised!The animation is wonderful and the character and monster design are very different and surprising. The world they live in is very creative.The movie has a great pacing and also knows where and how to let the viewer feel different emotions. The movie can be funny the movie can be sad and it works wonderfully.If you were not convinced by the marketing or trailers do give it a shot. It is very worth your time.

What a delightful family movie! We chose this not quite knowing what to expect and my goodness we were in for a treat.The story itself is pretty straightforward - a stone age family loses their home and has to search for a new one, and in the process learn about the really important things in life. Nothing too surprising there then.But it's the way this story is told that makes it fantastic. This is an incredibly fun and spectacularly colourful movie.The animation is done with blistering speed and real panache. There is a scene near the start showing the family out foraging for an egg - a simple enough idea but the resulting stand-off and chase with other hunting animals is a thrilling tour-de- force of animation.And my goodness, the colours! Every landscape and virtually every creature is lush with all the colours of the rainbow and (so it feels) more.This truly fits the definition of a 'magical' family movie. We were entranced.

The Croods (2013): Dir: Kirk DeMicco, Chris Sanders / Voices: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman: Prehistoric animation about one of the original families. The head of the cave is Grug and he is strong and constantly concerned about the safety of his family. His daughter Eep is adventurous and disregards her father's paranoia. Others include the wife, son, baby, and granny. Eventually Guy enters the picture when Eep sneaks out of the cave and marvels at his creation of fire. Guy warns them about the end of the earth and when an earthquake destroys their cave they are off to find new refuge. Not much of a plot and the structure is one simplistic encounter after another. The saving grace is a climax that presents Grug in a position where he must think on the spot and delivers on a brilliant plot solution. Directors Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders are backed with a lot of corny story elements but ultimately it is the animated presentation that scores the highest marks. Many of the characters are flat but Nicolas Cage is amusing voicing Grug who competes with Guy for his family's affection and trust. Emma Stone voices the ambitious and curios Eep who has her father's strength. Ryan Reynolds voices Guy whose resourceful keen senses solve much yet create tension with Grug. Other roles are not as well developed including a granny who has more energy than she should have at her prehistoric age. The animation is the highlight and the theme is family and the willingness to cut ties and trust those we care for to make beneficial choices. Score: 6 ½ / 10