It has been many years since the first CROODS movie came out, 2013 in fact, and while I remember liking the movie when I saw it in the theatre, I pretty much moved on and forgot about it ever since. When a sequel was announced I was a bit surprised. Didn’t we say all we needed to say with the first CROODS movie? I suppose not, as this lively & energetic sequel is not only a solid next chapter but it really has some exciting action, comedy and stunning animation for all age groups.
The Croods family, continuing their world-seeking adventures and looking for a new home, meet the BetterMan family and while they hit it off, something just doesn’t seem right about them. You can’t even eat the bananas (as someone who has a banana for breakfast every morning, that would annoy me too!). When it’s discovered why the bananas can’t be touched, it opens up another world of bad guys who may take over their home, and the two families must suck it up and work together to save the day.
This colorful and lively sequel has such a fun premise and an even more fun execution; it’s a lot of fun to watch the two families clash against each other. And as someone whose favourite fruit is the banana, it was highly amusing to see this visual gag get a lot of mileage, especially when you see the creatures that are such a fan of said bananas. It also features the voice work of Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds and a voice work by Nicolas Cage that you can spot from a mile away.
About the 4k HDR release:
In a word: wow. The 2160p, Dolby Vision enabled presentation of THE CROODS: A NEW AGE in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio is a reminder of the power of animation in Ultra HD. Words can’t even describe not just the color detail but also the black detail, challenging even the best theatrical presentations. I would go even farther to say that this looks SUPERIOR to most theatrical presentations except for possibly a Dolby Cinema or a cinema that uses a proper scope screen.
The Dolby Atmos soundtrack also has a bit more punch than animated titles of late and a nice low end and is a welcome companion to the outstanding picture quality. A Blu Ray is also included in this package along with a Digital Code, which applies to the Google Play Store in Canada.
Most of the bonus features are kid-related, which is fine, but mostly not for this older animation fan. There are a few shorts films (that I assume would have played before the feature in theaters), deleted scenes, The Croods Family Album which shows the actors doing the voice work, some kid-friendly features and trailers. For this movie buff, however, the real star of the show was the screen specific commentary track by the lead director and animators who clearly had such a drive to make an enjoyable sequel and seemed to have a lot of fun doing so. Definitely the star of the show and worth running after you watch the feature.
Overall this is a wonderful 4k HDR release and absolutely recommended for families with an Ultra-HD setup. You won’t be disappointed.
THE CROODS: A NEW AGE is now available in Ultra-HD 4k disc, Blu Ray, DVD and at all Digital retailers online. Many thanks to Universal Pictures and Taro PR for sending along a review copy.
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