We love watching family films together. So when Mumsnet asked us to review The Croods on blue ray we all grabbed our clubs, donned our animal skins and headed out to hunt for popcorn. Why the cave-man approach? Because The Croods, by the makers of Shrek and Madagascar, is about a stone age family trying to survive a geographical disaster.
Grud has navigated the families stone age life so far with his wife Ugga, her elderly mother, and their children, daughter Eep, son Thunk, and baby Sandy. His basic principle being that fear is key in survival and the family cave is the place to be to avoid dying. Luckily for The Croods, daughter Eep dreams of a bigger life. When she leaves the cave one night to explore she meets Guy, a more evolved stone age man who has predicted the upcoming disaster and turns out to be crucial in the families survival.
The Croods is a lovely family film with quirky characters, and lots of laughs. The Purple children loved the silly slapstick moments, like when Grud leads his family into a new cave, which turns out to be the mouth of a large, whale like mammal and they are spewed out of its spout hole. The Croods world is full of colourful creatures, and interesting landscapes and the animation is really brilliant.
The Croods has some lovely moments of family unity, especially when Eep and Grud realise that are actually very alike and together invent a hug (named because it rhymes with Grud). The themes of not being afraid to try new things, and families sticking together are great ideas for children. The whole family was captivated by this film, including Wonder Girl who is only two.
The Croods is released on December 9th and the blue ray costs £15.
*Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of The Croods by Mumsnet and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for the purposes of this review.