Film

The Croods: A New Age

A vibrant animated adventure about two prehistoric families forced together in a walled paradise. The Croods are loud, physical, and fearless; the Bettermans are refined and cautious. When danger strikes, both clans discover their differences are actually strengths. It's colorful, funny, genuinely moving about found family, and engineered to delight children while giving adults something real to chew on.

TMDb rating3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love bright, pratfall-heavy animation where the gags come from a gleefully primitive world and a squabbling family's clashing ideas about progress.

Skip it if you want something fresh, since it leans on the first film's formula and its broad, sometimes repetitive slapstick may wear thin for some viewers.

What it asks of you: Ninety-five minutes of bright, constantly moving frames that rarely pause, so it's easy company, though it wants your eyes on the screen for every gag.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

How to Train Your Dragon2010

A similarly warm-hearted adventure about unlikely bonds and learning to see past surface differences. The friendship at its heart is as earned and genuine as anything in The Croods, and the animation is stunning.

But The emotional beats hit hard; if you're there for light laughs only, moments of real loss might catch you off-guard.

How to Train Your Dragon poster

Encanto2021

Another multi-generational family story where the real threat isn't external chaos but internal fractures. Visually dazzling, the songs are genuinely catchy, and it nails the specific comedy of relatives who drive you up the wall but whom you'd die for.

But The plot meanders slightly; it takes a while to figure out what the movie is actually about beneath the magic and music.

Encanto poster

Raya and the Last Dragon2021

Trust issues between protagonists mirror the Croods' conflict beautifully. Lush animation, real stakes, and a climax that hinges on genuine vulnerability rather than standard action heroics.

But The world-building is dense and sometimes unclear; you might feel lost in the geography and politics early on.

Raya and the Last Dragon poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Croods: A New Age

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Quest for Fire1981

Both explore how survival forces evolution not just biologically but socially. Both ask what it takes for different groups to trust each other.

A completely serious, dialogue-free adventure about three prehistoric tribes learning to cooperate. Visually extraordinary, genuinely suspenseful, and strangely moving. It's what The Croods' world looks like without the comedy—and it works.

But No jokes, no pop-culture references, no emotional catharsis; some will find it austere and slow, others meditative.

Quest for Fire poster
More like this (6)

Over the Hedge2006

A misfit group learning to work together against a common threat. It's got the same blend of physical comedy, genuine warmth, and surprisingly smart social commentary about adaptation and change.

But Some of the humor skews dated; the critter voices and pop-culture references feel very mid-2000s.

Over the Hedge poster

The Lego Movie2014

Kinetic, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt. The core relationship between a jaded mentor and an eager optimist mirrors Grug and Guy's arc, and the visual inventiveness is intoxicating.

But The meta-narrative twist won't work if you go in expecting pure adventure; some find it whimsical, others find it clever-clever.

The Lego Movie poster

Moana2016

Another story about a character finding strength by embracing who they actually are rather than who they're supposed to be. The animation is breathtaking and the emotional core is unshakeable.

But Dwayne Johnson's charm won't land for everyone; if you find him grating, he's in this a lot.

Moana poster

The Jungle Book2016

Jon Favreau's live-action take captures the same sense of a character caught between two worlds, belonging fully to neither. Visually stunning and surprisingly contemplative for a family adventure.

But Mowgli is a passive protagonist; if you need your hero actively driving the story, the pacing might feel sluggish.

The Jungle Book poster

Trolls2016

Relentlessly colorful and upbeat in the way The Croods is. Two protagonists with opposite temperaments forced together, learning that different isn't wrong. The animation is genuinely joyful to look at.

But The saccharine sweetness and constant pop-music covers will exhaust some viewers; it never lets up for a quiet moment.

Trolls poster

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted2012

A traveling adventure full of found-family warmth and genuine affection between misfits. Visually creative, surprisingly emotional about belonging, and funny enough for adults.

But The plot is thin; it's really just an excuse to move colorful characters through pretty set-pieces, which some find insubstantial.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted poster

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