Verdict: ☆☆☆ – –

Out of the gate, this movie catapults itself into a high paced, action packed, slapstick-fest where every joke comes out of nowhere and smacks you in the face before running off laughing, and then the next one hits you!

I expected The Croods to run along the lines of Shrek but while the green ogre and donkey have a more linear storyline and character development to work from, The Croods seem more a chaotic plot befitting a family of cave people living just as Pangaea starts to break up. There are tiny emotional parts here and there that begin to tug at your heartstrings, but why cry when a good hearty chortle will do? The drama is trimmed tightly in this one, allowing more time to enjoy the brighter side of life.

This movie clocks in at 98 minutes, but feels more like 45. It zips along the plot of one cave family just trying to survive, when suddenly the land they’re living on starts breaking up and they have to leave. Enter a sudden boy interest that keeps dad on his toes more than the crumbling earth and you’ve got some crazy adventures! Especially when that boy has a bigger brain.

This is a fun, cute, quirky movie that never takes itself seriously at all and keeps the laughter coming. Inventive and cool, it has quickly earned a place on my DVD shelf!