Clark Duke, Kailey Crawford and Cloris Leachman voice Thunk, Sandy and Gran in “The Croods: A New Age”
Universal
Remember “The Croods?” It wouldn’t be surprising if your answer was “no.”
The Dreamworks Animation film seemed to blip on the radar in 2013 and disappear despite racking up $600 million at the global box office. A sequel had been planned after its box office success and an Oscar nomination, but it’s taken seven years to come to fruition.
“The Croods: A New Age” is slated to hit theaters on Thanksgiving. The film follows the Croods, a prehistoric family voiced by Nicholas Cage (Grug), Emma Stone (Eep), Catherine Keener (Ugga) and Ryan Reynolds (Guy), as they search for a safe place to call home. The family discovers a walled-in paradise that is already inhabited by another family, called the Bettermans.
The enlightened and evolved Bettermans know Guy, a nomadic character the Croods met during the first film, and spend much of the film trying to pull the young man away and pair him off with their daughter, Dawn. Peter Dinklage, Leslie Mann and Kelly Marie Tran round out the voice cast as the Bettermans.
Tensions escalate between the families, but those differences will have to be cast aside when a new threat forces them to work together.
“The Croods: A New Age” currently holds a 69% “Fresh” rating from Rotten Tomatoes from 29 reviews. As more reviews roll in, this rating is likely to change.
In pre-pandemic times, there would be dozens more reviews present on the review site. However, due to social distancing guidelines, critic screenings have been canceled in favor of sending digital links. Additionally, some publications have scaled back on reviews, which can rely heavily on paying freelance writers, for budgetary reasons.
Despite a decent slate of reviews, many critics wonder if it is really worth it for audiences to abandon their couches and head out to the big screen to see the film.
“Will people strap on a mask after Thanksgiving turkey and head out to see one of the few blockbusters released this season?” Brian Tallerico, of RogerErbert.com, asks in his review of the film. “The business story here could make for some interesting headlines, especially if it ends up a financial loser for the company willing to risk opening it in theaters.”
Cinema owners are hopeful that “The Croods: A New Age” will lure parents and kids back to the theater despite a continued surge in coronavirus cases and the threat of more cinema closures. But industry analysts aren’t as optimistic the family-friendly title will be a box office savior.
Here’s a rundown of what critics said about “The Croods: A New Age” ahead of its Thanksgiving debut:
Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
Tallerico described the film as “hyperactive and shallow” in his review posted Monday.
“A decent first half and solid voice work throughout succumbs to total chaos for the second half and the realization that there’s almost no actual artistic intent here,” he wrote. “No story, no character, no world-building, no design. It’s all bright colors and loud noises.”
Like many critics, Tallerico was quick to point out that “The Croods: A New Age” retreads over familiar ground covered in the first film. Grug, the father of the prehistoric family, learns that he can’t be too protective of his children and must step out of his comfort zone to survive.
The film “is content to tell pretty much the same story only louder,” he said.
Emma Stone ad Kelly Marie Tran voice Eep and Dawn Betterman in “The Croods: A New Age.”
Universal
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
David Rooney, a critic with The Hollywood Reporter, too found the story overstuffed and repetitive. He blamed the writing team of brothers Kevin and Dan Hageman, Paul Fisher and Bob Logan and director Joel Crawford for the uninspired plot.
“That committee has taken characters with limited charm and given them even less distinction, plugging a mostly samey continuation of their story full of action so manic and exhausting it often plays like a video game,” he wrote.
A rare bright spot in the film, however, comes in the writing team’s decision to buck the trope of two girls fighting over a man. Eep and Dawn Betterman are set up as likely rivals for the affections of Guy. However, the two girls become friends and bond over their very different life experiences.
Ultimately, this subplot is not enough to carry the movie, which has a “concluding message almost identical to that of the first movie,” Rooney said.
“Despite the talents of the pro voice cast (Cage and Stone once again are MVPs) and the attention to detail in the CG environments, the movie is more often assaultive than engaging, and seldom genuinely funny,” he said.
Matt Fowler, IGN
“‘The Croods,’ as a concept, is still a good one,” Matt Fowler, a critic for IGN, wrote in his review of the film.
He praised the voice actors, the returning cast and the new additions, for their chemistry.
“Cage’s mania mixes excellently with Stone’s squealing glee, and Reynolds is just a gift to action-comedy, in general,” Fowler wrote.
For Fowler, the world of “The Croods” is still worth a visit whether it’s at the cinema or in a few weeks when the film becomes available on premium video on-demand.
“‘The Croods: A New Age,’ while modestly funny at times, still collapses a bit under the weight of animation sequelitis,” he wrote.
The prehistoric family the Croods are challenged by a rival family the Bettermans, who claim to be better and more evolved.
Universal
Josh Spiegel, Slashfilm
“Even if the pandemic wasn’t a thing, this second ‘Croods’ would be a head-scratcher,” Josh Spiegel writes of the film in his review for Slashfilm. “Its decent success aside, the original film is arguably forgotten enough that the second film has to open with one of its characters catching us up on the story.”
Spiegel said the film serves as a reminder of how recently Dreamworks Animation had become a competitive threat against Disney’s animation groups Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Animation. He said “The Croods: A New Age” feels “uninspired” when compared with film franchises like “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Kung-Fu Panda,” which have been praised for their animation quality and emotional resonance.
“The story is fairly rote, a blend of the hoariest ‘Flintstones’–esque cliches to fill out a feature-length running time,” Spiegel wrote. “Will Eep and Guy reconcile? Or will Guy be swayed by the Bettermans to change his whole personality? Will Grug learn to live with the Bettermans? Contain your lack of surprise at the answers.”
Read the full review from Slashfilm.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal owns Dreamworks Animation and Rotten Tomatoes.
Source:CNBC
Great post, you have pointed out some excellent details, I too think this is a very superb website.
Woh I like your blog posts, bookmarked!
I see something genuinely interesting about your site so I saved to my bookmarks.
I enjoy reading through your website. Thanks!
This internet site is my breathing in, real wonderful style and Perfect content material.
I like this site because so much utile stuff on here :D.
Independance Immobilière – Agence Dakar
Sénégal
Av. Fadiga, Immeuble Lahad Mbacké
BP 2975 Dakar
+221 33 823 39 30
Agence Immobilière Dakar
After checking out a number of the blog articles on your web page,
I really like your way of blogging. I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark website list and will
be checking back in the near future. Please visit my web site as well and let me know your opinion.
Taxi moto line
128 Rue la Boétie
75008 Paris
+33 6 51 612 712
Taxi moto paris
Howdy! This blog post could not be written much better!
Going through this post reminds me of my previous roommate!
He continually kept talking about this. I most
certainly will forward this post to him. Pretty sure he’s going to
have a great read. Thank you for sharing!
Enjoyed looking at this, very good stuff, thank you.
I enjoy you because of every one of your hard work on this web site. Kim takes pleasure in engaging in research and it’s really easy to see why. I know all concerning the powerful mode you present both useful and interesting secrets on the blog and even welcome response from some other people on this article and our girl is without a doubt learning a great deal. Take pleasure in the remaining portion of the year. You’re doing a useful job.
Thank you a lot for providing individuals with such a spectacular opportunity to read critical reviews from this site. It is always very fantastic and also packed with a lot of fun for me personally and my office fellow workers to search your website at minimum thrice weekly to learn the new secrets you have got. And definitely, I am also actually contented with the staggering hints served by you. Some 4 tips in this article are undoubtedly the most effective I have ever had.
I enjoy you because of each of your work on this site. My mum really loves going through investigation and it’s really obvious why. My partner and i learn all about the lively form you give effective tactics on this blog and cause contribution from some other people about this topic then our favorite girl is always discovering so much. Have fun with the remaining portion of the year. Your doing a glorious job.
Thanks for your whole work on this web site. My mother really loves engaging in internet research and it is easy to see why. All of us learn all relating to the powerful means you present advantageous tips on your blog and therefore foster participation from some other people on the matter then my simple princess is now learning a whole lot. Have fun with the remaining portion of the year. You’re the one performing a splendid job.
I intended to send you that little note to be able to say thank you as before for your personal pleasing solutions you have documented here. It is seriously open-handed with you to allow openly what exactly most people would’ve offered for sale as an e book to help with making some bucks on their own, especially seeing that you might have tried it if you ever desired. The techniques likewise served like the fantastic way to fully grasp other individuals have similar dreams the same as mine to realize more and more on the subject of this matter. I’m certain there are some more pleasant periods in the future for folks who scan your blog.
My wife and i have been now fulfilled when John could conclude his research with the ideas he was given from your very own web pages. It is now and again perplexing to just find yourself freely giving steps that other people may have been trying to sell. So we realize we now have the website owner to appreciate for that. The main explanations you have made, the easy website menu, the relationships you can help to promote – it is most spectacular, and it’s aiding our son in addition to the family imagine that this concept is brilliant, and that’s wonderfully vital. Many thanks for all the pieces!
Thank you for your blog post. Manley and I are already saving to get a new guide on this topic and your blog post has made people like us to save money. Your ideas really clarified all our issues. In fact, above what we had acknowledged before we stumbled on your amazing blog. I no longer nurture doubts as well as a troubled mind because you have clearly attended to all of our needs here. Thanks
I like what you guys are up too. Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the excellent works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it will improve the value of my site :).
Hi there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it’s really informative. I am gonna watch out for brussels. I’ll appreciate if you continue this in future. Numerous people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
Just a smiling visitor here to share the love (:, btw outstanding pattern.
Thanks so much with regard to giving everyone an update on this matter on your blog. Please understand that if a fresh post becomes available or when any changes occur to the current posting, I would want to consider reading a lot more and knowing how to make good use of those approaches you write about. Thanks for your efforts and consideration of people by making this web site available.
I want to get across my love for your generosity in support of all those that need help on your question. Your special commitment to getting the solution around came to be astonishingly productive and have in most cases enabled those just like me to arrive at their dreams. Your amazing useful facts indicates this much a person like me and much more to my mates. Best wishes; from each one of us.
I am also commenting to let you understand of the useful discovery my cousin’s child experienced browsing your site. She mastered so many pieces, with the inclusion of what it’s like to have an amazing coaching mindset to let men and women completely gain knowledge of selected hard to do things. You undoubtedly exceeded our expected results. I appreciate you for delivering these powerful, trustworthy, edifying and even cool tips on this topic to Lizeth.
I have not checked in here for a while since I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are good quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂