Fantastic time-waster for the whole family.

Rating: 7/10 (28 March 2013)

Ironically, the biggest strength of Dreamworks' bright new animated adventure - which follows an anachronistic family from the prehistoric era - is the cast that are never seen. As the adolescent daughter yearning to explore the world, and the reason the Crood clan must leave their sacred cave, Emma Stone adds a level of vibrancy and energy that has now become expected from the super talented actress. In a bolder, but no less wonderful casting choice, Nicolas Cage is exceptional as the stubborn father who only wants to protect his dearly beloved yet drives them away because of it. The chemistry between Stone and Cage's characters is the film's greatest asset, however Catherine Keener's long-suffering mother/wife, Clark Duke's lovable moron and Ryan Reynolds' modernistic outsider all have their own shining moments, with Cloris Leachman's granny the only weak link among the players. Story-wise there's not much to write home about - the ages old 'living-safe-is-not-living-at-all' message drives the narrative yet thankfully isn't shoved down our throats - and the animation is of the usual standard without ever surpassing it; improvements to both, and a few more laugh-out-loud moments, would've nudged The Croods into real awesomeness. As it stands, this is still a fantastic time-waster come school holidays.