And they do stumble upon a “Tomorrow” of
sorts: A walled-in community with farming,
tools and comforts, things that are wholly
foreign to the rag-tag survivalist cave family.
All of this progress is thanks to the not-so-
subtly named Bettermans, Hope (Leslie Mann),
Phil (Peter Dinklage) and their daughter Dawn
(Kelly Marie Tran).
The Bettermans look, to put it bluntly, like
modern urban hipsters on vacation in Indonesia.
With mom in a tasteful shift dress and turquoise
jewelry and dad with a man-bun, sandals and
an open shirt, it seemed like we were about
to discover that this isn’t prehistoric times at
all and maybe the Croods had been living in
some deranged social experiment to mimic
the conditions of primitive peoples. Don’t
worry, they aren’t. It’s simply that this fantastical
prehistoric society has gotten even more
cartoonish and over-the-top.
These two families do not mesh together
particularly well, with one valuing privacy,
tidiness and progress and the other being,
well, crude. You can already guess the
misunderstandings, the hurt feelings and
where it all eventually ends up and it’s a journey
with a good heart. Some kids might even take
some comfort in relating more to one family or
another, or, as Dawn discovers, wanting what
the other family has.
There is some clear imagination and talent
behind this world, although the aesthetic
won’t be for everyone. The Betterman’s home
is colorful and imaginative and will no doubt
be a visual feast for youngsters, especially the
gadget-curious and treehouse fans. And there
are some genuinely funny moments, and a bit