The next set of reviews we’ll be publishing are some of the ones Roger Thomas has done exclusively for The Stanly News & Press. Roger has written movie reviews for The Stanly News & Press and other outlets for years, long before starting this blog. So we decided it would be good to give readers a sample of his previous work, in addition to posts of reviews of current films. Other reviews will run daily.
The Croods are in search of a new home.
“The Croods” is the second big animated feature of 2013. (I reviewed “Escape from Planet Earth” previously and I did not give it a glowing endorsement.)If you are only going to see one animated film this spring, make it “The Croods.”
First, this film is beautiful. I loved the scenery in every shot. First there is a bleak world of stone and earth tones. But then the characters in the film discover a new world which is lush with vivid colors. There is almost too much to take in but every frame of this film is filled with wonders.
Second, this film has fun characters. Grug, the father of the family, voiced by Nicholas Cage, is the original overbearing parent. He wants his family living in fear so they will always seek safety first. (Think Marlin from “Finding Nemo.”) Then there is the daughter, Eep, who is voiced by Emma Stone. In many ways, she reminded me of last year’s heroine in “Brave.” Only this time, Eep is rebelling against her father’s rules rather than her mother’s traditions. (There is a scene where Eep is climbing a rock wall that seemed to almost copy a similar act of young Merida in “Brave.”) Eep’s grandmother, Gran, is voiced by the brilliant Cloris Leachman; she should be in every animated feature. Eep’s mother and two siblings round out the family, but these last three rarely have a lot to contribute to the plot.
And then there is Guy, voiced by Ryan Reynolds. Guy is the cool young cave man who arrives just in time to create chaos for “The Croods.” He knows more than Grug does. And Eep and Gran both find him charming and attractive. The kids and the mother all take a liking to him too. But for Grug, he means trouble.
One question that I had about Guy, and I may research this, is whether he is supposed to be a more advanced species of human. Is he a Cro-Magnon perhaps versus the Neanderthals that are “The Croods?” (Jean Auel’s Earth’s Children book series does this same thing and that is probably where I got the idea.) And I am probably way over analyzing the character animation.
There are also many delightful animals that populate this prehistoric world. Some of them threaten the security of the family and Guy, but none of them are too scary for young children. (There is no scene in this film that is as threatening as the bear scenes in “Brave.”) Most of the action continues to have a comic element to it.
In the end, “The Croods” is not an animated masterpiece. We ultimately know where this is going. Grug will become a little less controlling and will like Guy more. The family will find a new home. And Eep and Guy will live happily ever after. But this is one of those films that is about the journey not the conclusion. And there is definitely enough here to make the journey a worthy visual experience and a lot of fun.
However, for the record, I am still holding out to going back to school this summer at “Monsters University” (opening June 21). May “University” and many other animated films released this year exceed the achievement that is “The Croods.”
(One added note for fans of animation: Pixar announced recently that the sequel to “Finding Nemo,” which is entitled “Finding Dory,” will be released Nov. 25, 2015. I, for one, will be there.)
Box Office results
Domestic gross: $187,168,425
Foreign gross: $400,036,243
Production budget: $135 million
Opening weekend: $43,639,736
NOTE: Information from Boxofficemojo.com
Cinema Corner 