Far from crude, The Croods

Even with the powerhouse cast of Nicholas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, and Emma Stone, The Croods --and I'm being perfectly honest here-- didn't really catch my full attention.  Wuut?  Another dino slash loin cloth movie?  Haven't we had enough of those?
Apparently, we haven't.  And I have my boys to thank for dragging me into the cinema for it.

The Croods is no run-of-the mill prehistoric flick though.  It's all about evolution.  It's all about opening your mind and venturing outside of your comfort zone, embracing change, cooking up unheard of ideas --in order to survive.  Kinda like everyday survival in the modern world.

Another thing that sets this movie apart is its unlikely heroine.  While she does have that rebellious streak that's kinda the formula when teenage characters are involved, she is far beyond being dainty and cutesy about it.  She's tough!  And rough!  Yet, naive.  Intriguing mix, eh?

Her love interest isn't your everyday hero either.  He's the loner with the strangest ideas that catapult the movie forward.  He's creativity personified.  Why, he single-handedly transformed the barbaric Crood Brood into a somewhat enlightened group --after much pain.

Of course, where there are teenagers, there will be a dad gone wild.  But he's more than that.  He's the alpha male stepping down from his throne which makes him the film's soul.  And heart.  I think he's the best character there and how he was built up was well done.

Another thing I particularly love is the heap of imagination poured into the colorful creatures.  Breaking the mold again, these animals go against the usual leathery monsters of the past.  It's like being in a lost time of hippie parties.  Cool, dude!

In the end, everyone got to take a bath and the end of the world was postponed. 

My review:  The Croods is one hell of an unexpected fun and tearjerker of a film.  Action-packed, too!  The first 10 minutes of hunting for fast food in itself kept me at the edge of my seat while laughing popcorn out of my nose.  Wouldn't you love to experience THAT?!

The Croods!  In cinemas.