Opening

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94% Stories We Tell May 10
100% The Painting May 10
—— Assault On Wall Street May 10
53% Aftershock May 10
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40% No One Lives May 10

Top Box Office

78% Iron Man 3 $174.1M
46% Pain & Gain $7.5M
77% 42 $6.1M
56% Oblivion $5.6M
69% The Croods $4.2M
8% The Big Wedding $3.9M
98% Mud $2.2M
60% Oz the Great and Powerful $2.1M
4% Scary Movie 5 $1.4M
81% The Place Beyond The Pines $1.3M

Coming Soon

87% Star Trek Into Darkness May 16
29% Erased May 17
100% Frances Ha May 17
—— The English Teacher May 17
The Croods Play Trailer Get Showtimes

The Croods (2012)

tomatometer

69

Average Rating: 6.5/10
Reviews Counted: 127
Fresh: 87 | Rotten: 40

While it may not be as (ahem) evolved as the best modern animated fare, The Croods will prove solidly entertaining for families seeking a fast-paced, funny cartoon adventure.

71

Average Rating: 6.3/10
Critic Reviews: 31
Fresh: 22 | Rotten: 9

While it may not be as (ahem) evolved as the best modern animated fare, The Croods will prove solidly entertaining for families seeking a fast-paced, funny cartoon adventure.

audience

83

liked it
Average Rating: 4.1/5
User Ratings: 69,222

My Rating

Movie Info

The Croods tells the story of the world's first family road trip. When their cave is destroyed, the Crood family must embark on a comedy adventure into strange and spectacular territory in search of a new home. As if patriarch Grug (Cage) didn't already have enough to handle, it goes from bad to worse when they encounter an imaginative nomad named Guy (Reynolds.) With Guy's help the Croods conquer their fear of the outside world and discover that they have exactly what it takes to survive - each

$168.7M

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Cast

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All Critics (127) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (87) | Rotten (40)

It captures the wonder (and more gently, the anxiety) of discovery time and time again. And the filmmakers have a hoot playing with the Croods' encounters with, as well as their misunderstandings of, all things new.

March 22, 2013 Full Review Source: Denver Post
Denver Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

As family viewing, it's pleasant enough: primitive, yes, but in a digitally sophisticated way that's boisterous, funny and will no doubt sell a lot of toys.

March 22, 2013 Full Review Source: NPR
NPR
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The animation is first-rate, with moments of genuine visual imagination, and the story, while unremarkable, is entirely adequate.

March 22, 2013 Full Review Source: The Atlantic
The Atlantic
Top Critic IconTop Critic

How to Train Your Dragon" and "Lilo & Stitch" are completely indicative of the experience you'll have with "The Croods," which is to say a supremely positive one.

March 22, 2013 Full Review Source: Film.com
Film.com
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It may not be an instant animated classic, but it's a charmer that will leave the kids ... feeling warm and fuzzy ...

March 22, 2013 Full Review Source: MSN Movies
MSN Movies
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A film which, if not truly sophisticated, isn't nearly as crude as advertised.

March 22, 2013 Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger
Newark Star-Ledger
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The incredible, surprising design - the vibrant colors, imaginative shapes and textures that make up the prehistoric world - is the movie's real star.

May 3, 2013 Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner
San Francisco Examiner

It's a lot better than some of the titles aimed at tykes, but anyone older than 10 may be hard pressed to find anything of value here outside of engaging eye candy.

April 14, 2013 Full Review Source: Film Racket
Film Racket

As well as being pacy, energetically animated and stuffed full of modern-day references, The Croods also casts off any lingering doubt that DreamWorks is moving into the character-driven domain normally dominated by Pixar.

April 12, 2013 Full Review Source: 3AW

Cavemen evolving.

April 11, 2013 Full Review Source: PopMatters
PopMatters

The Croods is simple enough in its story and structure that its emotional honesty and touching message will catch you quite off-guard.

April 8, 2013 Full Review Source: The Mercury
The Mercury

This is a very nice little family film with excellent visuals and interesting characters.

April 8, 2013 Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope
Laramie Movie Scope

The voices have also been well chosen and you're likely to enjoy the entertaining squabbles between Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds.

April 7, 2013 Full Review Source: ABC Radio Brisbane
ABC Radio Brisbane

You won't learn anything about life 100,000 years ago, but you may enjoy yourself.

April 1, 2013 Full Review Source: The Standard

Energetic slapstick, aimed at indiscriminating youngsters who will want to buy lots of Crood toys.

March 28, 2013 Full Review Source: SSG Syndicate
SSG Syndicate

It's not only entertaining, it's pretty darn visually impressive. On occasion, it's even rather touching.

March 28, 2013 Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

No wonder it's doing so well at the box office.

March 26, 2013 Full Review Source: tonymacklin.net
tonymacklin.net

An impressive, colorful, imaginatively-designed cartoon adventure, rather spoiled by being shackled to a deeply perfunctory story.

March 25, 2013 Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy
Antagony & Ecstasy

A witty and slapstick-laced script by writers-directors Chris Sanders and Kirk De Micco, some flawless 3-D work and solid character and beautiful background animation combine for an entertaining 92 minutes.

March 25, 2013 Full Review Source: Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

Dreamworks have done far more than simply dust off The Flintstones 2.0; The Croods may not yet be a household name, but with their personal brand of buffoonery and heart, you'll be wanting an introduction.

March 25, 2013 Full Review Source: The Vine
The Vine

This is pure DreamWorks magic.

March 25, 2013 Full Review Source: Flicks.co.nz
Flicks.co.nz

The Croods tells a pleasant story about family, the utility of man, and letting go -- all of which I will demonstrate in review with caveman-speak.

March 25, 2013 Full Review Source: Shared Darkness
Shared Darkness

It's the Ice Age that isn't terrible and Cage, as the voice of papa caveman Grug, delivers his most interesting, energized, mainstream performance since... well, since I forget.

March 25, 2013 Full Review Source: Movies.com
Movies.com

The humor's classic or prehistoric, depending on your tolerance for slapstick. The 3D animation is state of the art. And the life lessons are all too wearily contemporary.

March 25, 2013 Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

The Croods isn't particularly smart, but it has just enough wit to keep us engaged and just enough speed to keep us from feeling restless.

March 24, 2013 Full Review Source: Vulture
Vulture

"The Croods" is a touching animated film that not only entertains, but also delivers a sweet message about families and how change can be a good thing.

March 24, 2013 Full Review Source: Examiner.com
Examiner.com

Audience Reviews for The Croods

An 'Ice Age' rip off is what sprang to mind when seeing trailers for this, Dreamworks trying to leech off another studios ace franchise. In all fairness I still do believe 'DW' has kinda pinched the idea to a degree, 'Ice Age' is a good animated franchise and shows the prehistoric era is popular, so why not make your own eh.

The plot runs along the same kind of lines as 'Ice Age 2' and 'Ice Age 3', mixed together. The Croods must leave their home and find pastures new because of impending earthquakes and land formation which is tearing the area they know as home apart. On their journey they discover new lands which are alien to them which kinda feels like a 'lost world' theme, which would be similar to 'Ice Age 3' and various other fantasy films.

To be honest at first I really didn't like what I was seeing. I didn't like the way everything was designed, any of the characters and I didn't like the animation. Plus the start is pretty slow really, nothing much of interest happens and you start to wonder if it will be set purely within rocky terrains and dark caves the whole time.

Its only when the family must uproot and move on that the film starts to look much much better, again...a little too much like 'Ice Age 3' but lets leave that alone. Once we start to see all the colourful weird and wonderful lands, creatures, flora and fauna, I found myself enjoying the adventure a lot more (sigh of relief too I might add). Odd choice to make all the animals fantastical over realistic, not sure about that, I think it would of worked better with real accurate animals, flora and fauna etc...It might as well of been set on a distant alien planet really, it bares no proper resemblance to the real prehistoric era.

I'm still unsure about the characters though, jury's still out on them. All together they kinda reminded me of 'The Addams Family' but set in the prehistoric era, I think you can see what I mean. 'Grug' the father was a fun character voiced well by Cage, which was a surprise, really couldn't see that working out when I heard of it. I reckon Patrick Warburton would of been a good match for this 'Stan Smith-esque' caveman, but Cage does a good job. The only other character I liked was 'Grug's' son 'Thunk' voiced by Clarke Duke. A typical dim witted character but he made me smile.

Its not overly hilarious but there were times where I smirked and grinned at the lunacy. The whole sequence where 'Grug' is trying to come up with ideas to challenge 'Guy' was nicely done, some good Wil E. Coyote moments in that montage. I also liked how 'Grug' was always hoping his mother-in-law would get killed or eaten, nice touch there for the adults.

Poor start, gets much better midway through and ends with a very predictable weepy happy ending like all animated films do. I liked it but there are so many things I would change about the film if it was my project, the whole concept is pretty unoriginal now anyway thanks to a certain other franchise. Some nice touches but they don't save the film completely for me.
April 28, 2013
phubbs1

Super Reviewer

You know a movie isn't great when the best part is Nicolas Cage. "The Croods" is...surprisingly crude - in terms of even minimal historical accuracy and in terms of strong female character development (which I'm not sure they were going for, but if you get Emma Stone, our Big Red It Girl of the moment to voice your heroine, you ought to deliver something for her to work with besides grunty ogling of neanderthal beefcake).

The Crood family's hunting and problem solving tactics are really too cartoony, yet still not funnier or cleverer than the X's and O's of football strategery. I guess I was expecting an element of realism. The movie doesn't really start until Eep meets Guy who miraculously has AAALLLL the answers to prehistoric civilization: fire, shoes, critical thinking skills, musical instruments, slithey pets that act as belts, need I repeat: fire?? shoes??? critical thinking skills???? Where the hell did he come from?!
April 24, 2013
aliceinpunderland

Super Reviewer

    1. Gran: I'm still alive!
    – Submitted by Ben C (31 days ago)
    1. Guy: Belt also keeps my pants up.
    – Submitted by Evan A (33 days ago)
    1. Thunk: You need a name, I think I'll call you Douglas. Roll over Douglas.
    – Submitted by Katie H (37 days ago)
    1. Guy: Belt, emergency idea generator activate!
    – Submitted by Emily J (39 days ago)
    1. Grug: Never not be afraid.
    – Submitted by Matthew R (41 days ago)
    1. Guy: This is called a brain. I think that's where ideas go.
    2. Thunk: Dad, I don't have a brain.
    – Submitted by Daniel V (45 days ago)

Discussion Forum

Topic Last Post Replies
Nic Cage as a voice actor? 5 days ago 7
What's the point of it? 5 days ago 0
Do you believe that there is a possible resurgence for Nicholas Cage with 'The Croods'? 16 days ago 7
Awesome cast, but this is about a homosexual caveman right? 16 days ago 15
That crazy lady's review 30 days ago 6

Latest News on The Croods

April 17, 2013:
Croods Sequel in the Works
DreamWorks Animation has itself another franchise.

March 24, 2013:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Croods, Olympus Drive March Madness

March 22, 2013:
Critics Consensus: The Croods is Charming and Funny
This week at the movies, we've got a stone-age family (The Croods, with voice work by Nicolas Cage...

Foreign Titles

  • Die Croods (DE)
  • Les Croods (FR)
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