BEHINDWOODS COLUMN

Production: Kristine Benson, Jane Hartwell
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, Cloris Leachman
Direction: Kirk DeMicco, Chris Sanders
Screenplay: Kirk DeMicco, Chris Sanders
Story: John Cleese, Kirk DeMicco, Chris Sanders
Music: Alan Silvestri
 

When you’re presented with an animated tale about a pre-historic family, flashbacks of The Flintstones ought to strike you and halfway into Chris Sanders’ The Croods, when sequences of stone-age versions of modern inventions crop up, you are reminded of the classic cartoon series yet again. Similarly, the importance of family values projected in nearly every episode of The Flintstones or even The Simpsons for that matter is echoed in The Croods, and that isn’t an entirely bad thing unless you’re a South Park loving adolescent who believes it’s unnecessary to be reiterated on such matters.

If you’ve watched the popular releases of DreamWorks in the past (Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar) you will be quick to figure out the core emotional content of The Croods. Even though the manner in which it’s played out is destined to be predictable, these films always pack enough entertainment for the audience to overlook it. Just going by the posters, trailer and even the opening sequence of The Croods you’ll know exactly how this is going to transpire, yet you find yourself sitting back and enjoying the presentation, indulging yourself in a few giggles and laugh out loud moments along the way, and leaving with very little or nothing to complain.

The Croods features the voice of Hollywood A-listers such as Nicholas Cage, Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds for the central characters, and while Nicholas Cage’s voice stands out explicitly as his own, the other two perform with more dynamics. The story of the film is essentially about how the last remaining Neanderthal family is driven out of their comfort zone and subjected to the challenges of adaptability while dealing with the internal tension brewing along the way. While the film’s pace is leisurely, Chris Anders ensures that there’s good frequency of thrills, gags and vividly chromatic landscapes.

The film scores in its colorful visuals and even as the film is billed as a 3D feature the effects are fairly sparse but striking nevertheless. The scene where we are taken through a smoke screen, features particles of dust coming towards you, proving that the 3D has been used intelligently to create an atmosphere rather than inconsequentially cramming it up scene after scene for commercial gains. The characters are of the readymade and overused kind, which includes the expected ‘awww’ factor – in this case an over-enthusiastic baby girl and a cuddly little creature with a signature catchphrase, voiced over by the Director himself, checking all the boxes of a Hollywood trademark.

On a deeper level, the essence of The Croods suggests that there can be room for old-fashioned values and modern thinking to co-exist if the two are coupled with the right mix, leading to progress and evolution. But on the surface though, it serves up as a summer treat for the little rascals. Be good parents and take your kids out to this one!