The Croods 2013

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine: The family-dramedy genre that the film inhabits demands a bit more narrative ingenuity than is on display. Read more

Kate Erbland, MSN Movies: It may not be an instant animated classic, but it's a charmer that will leave the kids ... feeling warm and fuzzy ... Read more

Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: [It] might even give the little ones something more challenging to think about than its tired main plot. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: The pace is brisk and occasionally slapstick, and some amusing situations stem from the cavemen displaying brawn over brains. Read more

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: In an interesting way, "The Croods" is about storytelling - cave paintings, hints of oral tradition, stumbling upon metaphors - and the impulse to remember amid change. There's something touching in that ... Read more

Leslie Felperin, Variety: Although state-of-the-art in its rendering of textures, movement and stereography, DreamWorks' latest 3D toon, The Croods, adopts a relatively primitive approach to storytelling. Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: The fact that it constantly undermines its own message doesn't entirely diminish its base appeal. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: It's all well enough. Read more

Tom Russo, Boston Globe: Had the movie figured out a way to stay the less-cliched course, it might have helped the DreamWorks oeuvre take steps toward Pixar's emotional resonance. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: "The Croods" rests on the notion of the patriarch who must learn to adapt and let go. (I resent this storyline, for the record.) Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: It captures the wonder (and more gently, the anxiety) of discovery time and time again. And the filmmakers have a hoot playing with the Croods' encounters with, as well as their misunderstandings of, all things new. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: This movie not only has its heart in the right place, it has its brain in the right place. Read more

Keith Staskiewicz, Entertainment Weekly: A handful of adrenalizing sequences of animated anarchy can't save this story from feeling overly primitive. Read more

Laremy Legel, Film.com: How to Train Your Dragon" and "Lilo & Stitch" are completely indicative of the experience you'll have with "The Croods," which is to say a supremely positive one. Read more

Kevin Lally, Hollywood Reporter: Fast-paced, inventive animated comic adventure of a Stone Age family gets an extra boost from the lively vocal performances of stars Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds. Read more

David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter: Further back on the evolutionary chain than the Flintstones, and also lagging in the comedy stakes, this sweet Stone Age clan nonetheless will captivate the youngsters. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: "The Croods" is both brisk and beautiful, and should be sufficiently entertaining for family audiences for whom few such options exist these days. Read more

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: Like the continents, it's a little too easy to drift away. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: A film which, if not truly sophisticated, isn't nearly as crude as advertised. Read more

Bob Mondello, NPR: As family viewing, it's pleasant enough: primitive, yes, but in a digitally sophisticated way that's boisterous, funny and will no doubt sell a lot of toys. Read more

Miriam Bale, New York Daily News: When it gets past the Stone Age humor, this weird film manages to find some gentle revelations. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: I'd like to take back all those times I said Nicolas Cage was one of the most annoying actors on film. It turns out he's equally terrible when he's only on the soundtrack. Read more

Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer: The movie is well-edited and lean, a fast-paced, action-filled bit of froth that manages to be diverting and surprisingly fun. Read more

Nell Minow, Chicago Sun-Times: Despite a few too many mother-in-law jokes, "The Croods" nicely makes it clear that even before they had fire, families understood how important it was to cherish and protect each other. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: Considering the fact that a young girl is picking her nose on the movie poster, "The Croods" is surprisingly evolved. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: It's the kind of rib-tickling, emotionally satisfying, universally appealing effort that gives computer animation a good name. Read more

Jody Mitori, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: While their situation sounds dire, "The Croods" is not. The DreamWorks animated film has enough slapstick humor, furry sidekicks and zippy 3-D action sequences to keep the story light. Read more

Christopher Orr, The Atlantic: The animation is first-rate, with moments of genuine visual imagination, and the story, while unremarkable, is entirely adequate. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: Even the lively visuals and unrelenting thrill-ride pace can't disguise rough-hewn storytelling, or the fact that the tale of a old-fashioned macho cave dad and his family seems a bit yabba-dabba done that already. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: Neither as thrilling nor as funny as it ought to be. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: This material could have easily fallen into sitcom cliches with a heaping scoop of anachronism jokes on the side, but The Croods takes these characters and their situation seriously enough to make the story matter. Read more

Catherine Bray, Time Out: It's all entertaining enough, and will surely sell plenty of stuffed toys. But it winds up a fair few rungs below the likes of 'Brave' on the evolutionary ladder. Read more

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture: The Croods isn't particularly smart, but it has just enough wit to keep us engaged and just enough speed to keep us from feeling restless. Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: "The Croods" is light fare, but it explores a serious theme, if only superficially. Read more