Anti-religious Propaganda?

Rating: 5/10 (20 November 2013)

Not since the very funny Ricky Gervais' very unfunny "The Invention of Lying" has a film had such a pervasive anti-religious agenda. Grug keeps his family safe by following the ancient teaching on the cave wall - the doxology if you will. They follow precisely a prescribed set of rituals draw from this dogma which keeps them nourished. However, one day Guy appears and seduces the teenage Eep (it sounds like "Eve" in the movie) by bringing her fire. This makes him the light-bringer - the literal definition of Lucifer. Grug's family follows Eep as Guy introduces other forms of formerly forbidden knowledge until they all abandon the old ways in favor of this more secular existence. In keeping of the agenda of the producers, everything works out for them because of these changes. Well, at least that's one way to interpret it. Another is to say this is largely a decent but forgettable popcorn animated movie long on visuals and short on writing much like "Kung Fu Panda." Certainly the film has some exciting moments and decent lines but by about the twelfth time someone is chased by a non-extinct large cat, it gets a little monotonousness. Casting choice aimed toward box office so you wind up with off putting and slightly crazed action star Nicolas Cage voicing the put-upon father with a heart of gold. Even in the tender moments you wonder when Grug is going to go all twitchy and spout the tenants of a conspiracy theory or pull out an exotic handgun. In short, atheist activists and Satanists will love the film, people with kids will appreciate that it takes up an hour and half.