Why just yesterday we were talking about all things animated, and I mentioned how I rarely go see animated movies in the cinema. Before you commence with the booing and the hissing, notice that I said “rarely” not “never” as I do make exceptions. And I’ll especially make one if the animated movie is being made by the same people who did How To Train Your Dragon.
That film was easily one of the biggest and best surprises of 2010 for me, and there’s something about The Croods that makes me feel it might just be the same. And no, it’s not the fact a monkey punches animated Nic Cage in the face. Well, not entirely.
When their cave is destroyed, the Crood family is forced to embark on an epic adventure into a pre-historic world in search of a new home. With the help of a brash, know-it-all nomad named Guy, the Croods learn to conquer their fears and discover what it takes to survive – each other.
Featuring the voices of Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke and Cloris Leachman, the animated adventure begins on March 22, 2013.
If the Academy handed out awards based purely on how fun a movie is, then Toy Story 3’s Lee Unkich would have been the one sitting at the table, trying to play it aloof, with that mannequin smile, pretending not to have died inside, as How To Train Your Dragon‘s writer/director Chris Sanders took top honours. But apparently a film about possessed toys that makes people cry was the better movie that day.
And while I doubt that The Croods will be up for any major Oscars this time around, it certainly looks like Sanders, co-writer/director Kirk DeMicco (Space Chimps) and initial co-writer John Cleese – Yes, that John Cleese! – has created another film that could be just as fun as How To… was.
Last Updated: December 6, 2012
