The Croods A New Age is new in theaters. It’s the first animated movie for kids to hit the big screen in quite some time.
In the original The Croods, overprotective father Grug (the voice of Nicholas Cage) strives to keep his family safe at all costs. The last thing he wants is for his adventurous teen daughter Eep (the voice of Emma Stone) to explore the world. But not only does she venture outside of the family cave, but she meets and develops a crush on a young teen loner named Guy (the voice of Ryan Reynolds).
What is the plot of Croods: A New Age?
In the Croods A New Age, the family has stayed strong as a pack, but the dynamics is changing. They face attacks from strange hybrid beasts and fanciful prehistoric creatures every moment of their lives. But that’s just a day in the life of the Neanderthal.
Meanwhile, Eep and Guy’s puppy love has blossomed into a full-fledged teen romance, where “hey” means “I love you.” This is much to the chagrin of Grug, who freaks out when he finds out that Eep and Guy are thinking of looking for a place of their own. Grug will do anything to keep the family together, and what they need more than anything is a home where they can be safe.
The “New Age” in the title doesn’t only refer to the fact that Eep is growing up. Grug believes he’s found that new home when he discovers an oasis exploding with abundance, a new beginning.
But so much abundance is no accident. It’s the creation of Phil and Hope, an “evolved” couple who have pioneered agriculture and built a home in a tree house. Phil and Hope Betterman are about as New Age as it gets, right down to their crystal protection necklaces and Phil’s man bun.
The Croods remain true to themselves, but Guy can’t resist giving into the Bettermans’ innovations, especially the vanilla-scented showers. Eep wants nothing to do with the new-fangled, “evolved” inventions. Instead, she becomes a role model for Phil and Hope’s daughter Dawn (the voice of Kelly Marie Tran), who worships Eep as a rule breaker who has been on adventures and has the scars to show for it.
Should your family see it?
The Croods A New Age is fun, funny and very colorful. In the “mod-historic” tradition of the Flintstones before it, the movie presents lots of vignettes featuring modern conveniences with a prehistoric twist.
I love it that the filmmakers resisted giving Eep a makeover. She’s still the heart and strength of the movie, but she has yet really to come into her own. Maybe we’ll see that in The Croods 3.
For now, The Croods A New Age continues to focus on Grug’s struggle to realize that his little girl is becoming a woman. Guy and Eep have to learn what it takes to make love last. And the Croods have to accept the differences of others and that things evolve to keep the family together.
