I may have a slight bias simply because, despite my twenty-six years of age, I still adore cartoons and animated movies.  When I heard Finding Nemo was coming out again in 3D at the cinema, I squealed with delight.  But…The Croods! What a delightful film!

Though I struggled NOT to see Emma Stone each time the main girl, Eep, opened her mouth, I sat enthralled with the effects, the wonderfully simple, yet enjoyable storyline with beautifully drawn-out characters.

The main story centres around Eep, a cave girl on the cusp of womanhood, struggling with her father’s overbearing survival instinct and the family’s motto, ‘Never Not Be Afraid’, stating ‘Everything new is bad’.  The only safe place they have is a tiny cave that they all share, which Eep obviously hates, almost as much as her father (voiced by Nicolas Cage).  Incessant same-line bed-time stories are told, telling of how every time someone gets curious, they see Something New…and instantly die.

Then, just as she can’t stand it any more, she meets Guy, (voiced by Ryan Reynolds), who tells her the world is ending, (which is actually the tectonic plates moving and forming the continents we now recognize), and he is travelling to Tomorrow so he can hitch a ride from the Sun.  Haphazardly, and with a lot of caution and dread,  Guy leads them on towards his dream with their major differences being displayed along the way.

It’s a lovely, feel-good film, featuring everything from a sloth that doubles as a belt (also known as ‘Belt’), a huge prehistoric Death Cat and the revolution of a family’s way of thinking. Celebrating how change can sometimes be a good thing and that family, love them or hate them, are the best thing we have.