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Predictably prehistoric

Yet another film where technological brilliance makes up for plot shortcomings and character flaws. The Croods are cool, but unfortunately trapped in their characterisations, they fail to rise above mediocrity. So while it was fun listening to Nicholas Cage, who plays papa Crood, rant about being safe inside the caves, he gets to you after a while.

But on the other hand these things hardly matter, given that Dreamworks has gone all out in creating mind blowingly colourful pre-historic landscapes.

The story follows a predictable curve and the narration clings to Hollywood tradition. We are introduced to Croods and their way of life, the narration borrowing a bit from the Flintstones, the cult prehistoric family. Croods stay isolated from the rest of the world inside the confines of the cave, minding the words of the patriarch. A scene out of your regular pre-historic handbook. Then we have the pesky daughter Eep, played by Emma Stone, who is gripped by curiosity. She dares to defy the man and venture out. But before she could, the world comes tumbling down. And while the others cower, the curious one is excited. In saunters the dude, played by Ryan Reynolds, a rung or two up on the ladder of evolution, teaching them few tricks of survival. The crash course on how to light fire is fun. While the fight is on for the alpha-male role between the Papa Crood and cool dude, Eep takes two steps forward in her exploration of the unknown and falls three steps back into Hollywood cliches by falling for the pre-historic smooth talker. The rest is predictable. By now though we are far into the eye-candy world that the director is dangling in front of us to care.

Two things stand out: That Eep is not your regular heroine with a hour-glass figure and the Gran character (played by Cloris Leachman), who gets delightfully tart-y in the era of hunters.
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