Kidzworld checks out the fun caveman adventure The Croods, now out on Blu-ray and DVD. Come along with Eep and her family as they struggle to survive “the end of the world”. Duh, Duh Daaaaaa!
You can totally relate to Eep. She’s a teen with an overprotective dad and an interest in a hot new guy in town. Due to sneaking out to meet the guy, she’s grounded. Oh, and she’s a cavegirl living in the “Croodaceous” period. Otherwise, same thing.
The Crood brood plus Guy are separated from dad
Story Goes
Caveman family the Croods (dad Grug (voice of Nicholas Cage), wife Ugga (Catherine Keener), daughter Eep (Emma Stone), son Thunk (Clark Duke), grandma (Cloris Leachman) and baby Sandy live in their cave in fear of almost everything outside. Dad’s motto is “Never NOT be afraid”. Teen daughter Eep is bored silly so, one night, she sneaks out and follows a strange light which turns out to be something mysterious called “fire” and be on a stick held by hottie, evolved human Guy (Ryan Reynolds). Eep is both freaked and smitten. Guy has a ton of knowledge and has a pet sloth named Belt that he uses as… a belt.
Guy (with Belt) shelters Eep from the storm
Guy warns the family that the world is coming to an end….earthquakes, storms, lava etc. At first Grug doesn’t believe but when the cave is destroyed by an earthquake, the family sets out for safety, teams with Guy on the way and ends up crossing some amazing new landscapes, tangling with never before seen creatures like a saber-toothed giant cat, man-eating flowers, a flock of tiny birds that strip flesh like piranhas and more. Eep becomes more infatuated with Guy and the family starts to rely more on the more knowledgeable and creative newcomer leaving Grug feeling like he’s being replaced. Can the Croods and Guy make it to safety? Will Grug get to prove himself again as the family protector?
The Croods discover the great outdoors
Special Features
- The Croodaceous Creatures of Croods – Thunk and Eep tell us about the many creatures they come across in the movie and give you a little peek at and info on each. There are the Piranhakeets (those mean little flesh-eating red birds), Belt, Guy’s pet sloth, Liyotes, Punch Monkeys, Turtle Doves, Turkeyfish, Girellephants and a Sharkodile. Cute but maybe would have made a fun game as well.
- Belt’s Cave Journal – Guy tells us that Belt drew a picture journal of one of their early adventures and we see it all unfold in cute, crude drawings. The duo met a Jackrabat (part jackrabbit, part bat) and helped him find his family. A sweet tale for younger kids.
A tiny mousephant
- Croods’ Cuts (Lost scenes) – Director/writers Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco show us several scenes taken out of the movie and tell us why there were removed. Most are shown in crude early storyboard phase, one as a finished animation. Grug tries to rebuild the family cave, the Croods experience rain for the first time, Grug and wife Ugga talk about the family staying in the cave so much and we see some weird termites chase Thunk. Fun to see but the guys explain why they weren’t really needed.
- Be An Artist – This is my favorite extra! A very nice animator (Sean Sexton.. we got to meet him on our visit to DreamWorks animation studios) shows you step-by-step how to draw Belt, the giant McCawnivore cat and a little Mousephant. Sean is really detailed, a good teacher and you can enjoy drawing and later coloring your own creations. Yay!
Animator shows us how to draw mousephant
- The World of DreamWorks Animation – is really just a way to sell more DVDs BUT, you do get to watch snippets of fun songs from Shrek, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda so worth a watch and listen.
- Create Your Own Croods Story – this is an extra feature you can take advantage of in addition to the Blu-ray and DVD. It’s an App you can download that is a storyboard builder and free coloring book. You get to select the characters and creatures from the movie that you would like to color. You can build a storybook with the artwork you create and even add dialogue and your own voice. It is available on the Apple App Store, Google Play and Amazon App Store.
Dad Grug carries Guy in a log
Wrapping Up
You know you are in for exciting adventure after the impressive opening action sequence of The Croods. The film really balances humor, danger, drama and adventure very well and is fun for the whole family (without being lame for you and your BFFs). The worlds and creatures the filmmakers have created are colorful and a blast to watch in action. The story is a very human one and you can identify with the characters. The voice cast is amazing, especially the very expressive Emma Stone as Eep. The film both looks and sounds great on this Blu-ray/DVD/Digital set.
The fierce, later friendly McCawnivore cat
Extras are all fun but seem to be geared to the younger kids. Still, all-in-all, it is a very collectable presentation of this fun, beautifully produced movie. Go buy and gift! We go 4 stars.
The Croods Blu-ray + DVD Rating: 
The Croods Blu-ray DVD cover
The Croods is now available on Blu-ray & DVD!
