THE CROODS
A funny, beautifully animated family adventure about courage and love.
Should You Watch It?
Here is an easy family recommendation. The Croods is a funny, well-made animated adventure that keeps its plot clear and its audience constantly amused. Its wonderful animation is filled with imaginative images, while its heart stays focused on a family that truly loves one another.
The movie celebrates sticking together, sacrifice, optimism, and the courage to face what is new. It also emphasizes the enlightenment that knowledge brings and includes some implied humanist and environmentalist elements, along with light scatological humor and animated action violence.
For most families, the positive themes and strong entertainment value make this worth watching. Use some discernment if you are especially concerned about the film’s worldview ideas.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESThe Croods are one of the world’s first families. Grug works hard to protect his wife, mother-in-law, teenage daughter Eep, son, and baby daughter inside their cave, where his motto is, “Fear is in the new.”
But Eep longs to see the light and experience adventure. When the family’s cave is destroyed by a platonic shift, they must travel toward higher land through a dangerous new world. Along the way, they meet Guy, a young man who knows how to make fire.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is a highly entertaining, well-made animated movie. The clear plot keeps the audience constantly amused, and the animation is wonderful, with imaginative images throughout.
The film’s family story gives the adventure its emotional center. Its focus on sticking together, loving each other, seeking goals, and looking toward tomorrow with optimism makes the movie both enjoyable and meaningful.
The Worldview
The Croods strongly support family and sacrifice. The family members love one another, and the story values sticking together in the midst of danger. It also encourages overcoming fear, seeking goals, and looking forward to tomorrow with optimism.
At the same time, the film contains some implied humanist and environmentalist elements. It seems to focus on the enlightenment that knowledge brings, and its theme of taking a leap of faith to follow the sun toward tomorrow can be understood in largely human-centered terms. Families should also know about the light scatological humor and animated action violence.
The movie’s emphasis on family love and sacrifice aligns with Scripture’s call to care for one another. Its central longing for courage in the face of fear can be connected to God’s promise: “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Very strong moral worldview supporting family and sacrifice, but with some implied humanist, environmentalist elements; no obscenities or profanities, some light scatological elements; animated action violence with characters slapping each other, grandmother gets slapped, father gets hit in the face by monkeys, characters hunt for their food, some scary animals; no sexual content; upper male nudity, some women have small outfits; no alcohol use; no smoking nor drug use; and, teenage daughter is rebellious at times, father is put down upon on times, an emphasis on knowledge, and grandmother and father fight, but father loves his family.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The Croods must learn how to face change without losing their love for one another. What helps your family respond to fear with courage and self-control?
2 Timothy 1:7 · Psalm 56:3The movie emphasizes sticking together and sacrificing for family. What does love look like when someone else needs your help?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · Philippians 2:3–4The story presents knowledge as something that brings enlightenment. How should knowledge be joined to humility and reverence for God?
Proverbs 1:7 · James 1:5The film includes environmentalist elements. What responsibility has God given people toward the world He made?
Genesis 1:28 · Genesis 2:15The Final Word
The Croods is a funny, imaginative, beautifully animated family adventure with a strong emphasis on love, sacrifice, and sticking together. Its worldview elements call for some discernment, but the movie’s family-friendly virtues and four-star entertainment make it WORTH THE TRIP.
