One of the perks of being a blogger is that I sometimes get to attend movie screenings.  My kids saw the previews for The Croods when we went to see Wreck it Ralph and have been looking forward to it ever since then!  We weren’t disappointed!

The Croods are a prehistoric family trying to survive as the “end of the world” approaches.  The movie deals with letting go, facing the unknown, and new beginnings and has some great messages about parenting and families, too!  Grug, the father (whose voice is done by Nicholas Cage) is understandably cautious given the perilous world they live in.  His top priority is protecting his family, even if it means keeping them locked away in a cave for days at a time.  The teenage daughter, Eep (whose voice is done by Emma Stone) has a sense for adventure and yearns for something beyond the cave walls.  After sneaking out one day, she comes into contact with Guy, (voice of Ryan Reynolds) who has been making it on his own for awhile and is full of great survival tips.  Shortly after Eve returns to her family’s cave, the family is faced with unexpected changes and they have to leave the cave for the unknown.  Along the way, Grug has to swallow some of his pride as the “protector” and the family relies on Guy to help them survive.

Adults will be able to appreciate the storyline.  As parent, you may be able to relate to the relationship between Grug and his daughter and to that desire to protect your children and family.  The father-daughter relationship also took me back to my teenage years and reminded me of similar battles with my parents as I approached adulthood and strived to establish my own independence.

My kids, who are five and eight, enjoyed the movie, and there were plenty of moments where we all laughed together, but there are some pretty intense scenes and my five year old ended up on my lap about halfway through the movie. My advice is to leave the younger kids at home!

The favorite character for my kids was “Belt” (pictured above) who is Guy’s pet and doubles as a belt, a cook, and basically a jack of all trades.  You’ll be hearing “dun dun dun…” (you have to watch the movie to understand) from your kids for awhile after watching!

I have to admit that this movie kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.  I found myself jumping at some scenes and wondering if the characters were going to survive in other scenes.  It’s not your typical children’s movie for sure!

DISCLOSURE:  I received free admission to this movie for myself and my family.  All reviews and opinions are my own.  Please refer to my disclosure policy for additional information.