When it's over, there is plenty of slapstick humor and unintelligent caveman antics to make the film feel prehistoric, literally. It reminds me of The Flinstones, mainly because it takes place during the stone age, and what worked for The Flinstones in the past, does not work for The Croods in the present. It also reminds me of Brave, because the daughter, Eep (Emma Stone), is headstrong and reckless. When their cave is destroyed, a family of cavemen must travel to new lands, meet new creatures, and accept change in order to survive. I believe the heart of the story is about change, about the difficulties in accepting them and the necessity to embrace them. This theme is universal and one of the main reasons why I watched the film. I think everyone (big and small, young and old) can relate to change, because it is inevitable in all our lives. But, although I can relate to the theme, I cannot connect with the characters. There is something completely annoying and uninteresting about them, in every way. Just because the characters are from the stone age, they do not need to be brainless. Male voice talents include Nicholas Cage as Grug, the father, and Ryan Reynolds as Guy, the young boy who helps the family find safety. Both voices do not fit their characters. Cage's voice is all wrong as the gruff stubborn caveman, and Reynolds's voice is too mature to pull off a young boy's persona. This is the first animated film I have seen, where the voices affected my viewing experience. There is good animation and a bold attempt to delve into a theme that is more mature than most animated films, but to enjoy this film, even slightly, you have to like slapstick humor. Otherwise, it will feel unfulfilling.
My rating: 2.5 out of 5
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