THE CROODS (MOVIE / 2013)When I first saw the trailer for The Croods, I was mighty unimpressed. I've seen so many Dreamworks films that have promise, but strive to be so commercially acceptable that they fall flat. I also felt that this idea had already been mined to death by Ice Age and it's numerous sequels... but I was wrong on all accounts. The Croods is a wonderful film with a lot of laughs and a lot of heart.
For the first time in a while, it feels like this Dreamworks film cast the voices to fit characters, not the other way around. Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds and Nicolas Cage give fantastic performances that really ground the film. With the basic idea of the film being "What if a family goes on a road trip... in the stone age?" you really have to rely on that family being likable and relatable, and they pull it off. We really haven't had a lot of movies recently that deal with daddy-daughter
issues, but (besides a few thematic misfires near the end of the film) Stone and Cage really convey a deep, layered relationship.
The animation is a joy to behold. I saw the film in 2D, and loved the transition from your typical vision of the stone age (all tan and grey) to a lush sub tropical world filled with color. It harkened back to The Wizard of Oz, making you feel the same kind of wonder the characters were feeling when they looked deep into this new world. Alan Silvestri's score was serviceable to the film, adding depth to moments, but you won't find yourself humming any tunes you heard after the credits have rolled.
There were a lot of thematic elements being tossed around in the film, whether it be light versus dark, the virtues of surviving instead of living and the fear of change. Since they dabble with so many thoughts, you don't really know what to say is the main "moral" tale they are trying to tell. The final quote is "Follow the light", which is a nice thought that wraps up everything The Croods have experienced in their journey, one that was exciting, sweet and a pleasure to be a part of.
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