Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Croods: A New Age 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 7, 2021

The math is pretty simple. If a digitally animated kids movie is wildly successful -- say, The Croods, which raked in well over half a billion dollars in box office returns -- then a sequel will follow on its heels. The Croods: A New Age wasn't exactly churned out with the speed that many anticipated, languishing about a full seven years before release only to pull in around 30% of the original's box office because of the bad timing to be finished in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ignore the box office numbers, then; this is a solid, fun-loving sequel that would have certainly done much better business if business was business as usual. While the franchise is hardly the standard-bearer for its kind, there's no mistaking its keen ability to blend old and new to humorous result. This sequel takes that a step further.

Eep (voiced by Emma Stone) and her boyfriend Guy (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) are inseparable. The lovebirds are tied together at the hip and their lovey-dovey ways are getting on Grug’s (voiced by Nicolas Cage) nerves. But he’s also concerned that Eep and Guy will up and leave the pack. “The pack is stronger together,” he says. His fears appear to be materializing when, that same night in the sleep pile, he overhears Guy suggesting that he and Eep head out on their own, finding their own path and building their own life together away from the hustle and bustle of the Crood clan. But the entire family’s world is rocked when it stumbles upon a mysterious gate. Have they reached the end of the world? No, but they have reached a new world – so to speak. Inside they find the Bettermans: father Phil (voiced by Peter Dinklage), mother Hope (voiced by Leslie Mann), and daughter Dawn (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran). The Bettermans are an advanced race of human, one step evolved from the Croods. They live a completely different lifestyle. They don’t always share one another’s space, they value cleanliness, and they indulge in creature comforts all made possible by an obvious leap in mental acumen and physical dexterity. The Croods find it a strange place, except for Grug, who remains suspicious. But as the families integrate, dangers loom on the horizon.

A New Age is far more enjoyable -- at least talking from the adult perspective -- in its first half or so as the family ventures forward and deals with the evolving family dynamics, particularly as dear old daddy Crood struggles with the ever-increasing likelihood that Eep and Guy are going to head out on their own. His worries are as much for his daughter as they are the weakening of his family, and every father of a teenage daughter will relate to his response to her infatuations and dreams. The film further proves of interest for the drama, and humor, that result when the Croods meet the Bettermans (see what they did there...a "better" form of "man"...or are they?) and the movie turns into a "fish out of water" story when the crude Croods find themselves in what passes for modernity, sophistication, maybe even high society at the Betterman estate. As the film progresses towards its third act, it morphs into a more standard bit of action fare which admittedly blends tight, pitch excitement and humor to fun effect, but it's also a bit rote, particularly as it follows on the heels of the more engaging open and middle stretch.

Of course, the animation is top-flight. The movie looks magnificent. There's no stone unturned, so to speak; the digital artists have painstakingly created a world rich in detail and high on texture that translates beautifully to the screen. They nail that next step in human evolution in the Bettermans, too, keeping them looking a little gruff and "stone age" but moving them forward with enough hints of pampering in the realm of "modern" convenience to create a clear demarcation between the families. Voice work is stellar, too, both returning cast and newcomers to the film. A New Age certainly crosses all of its proverbial T's and dots all of its proverbial I's both in the computer and in the recording booth.

The Croods: A New Age 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Universal throws Blu-ray 3-D fans a bone with The Croods: A New Age, a rare release for the format but one that format fans will find to be a most welcome addition to the library. Not only is the movie solid as it is, the 3-D presentation is rather agreeable on top of that, making for one of the best additions to the format in recent times. The presentation offers a genuine sense of depth, with impressive stretch along the large open plains seen so prominently through much of the film's first act as the Crood family makes its way along the open terrain. Yet even in the cozier close quarters seen in the Betterman "estate" through the second act, the image never loses a pleasant, believable sense of space. The additional clutter and object closeness to the screen only amplifies the more confined space, giving viewers a contrasting sense of depth to the beginning's wide-open terrain with a fine feel for this location's more relatable spacing. Most every scene, whether of space and sprawl or in those tighter quarters, sees the picture thrive in its spatially expressive depictions of place. It's very impressive, and maybe it would be a little less so were 3-D releases a dime a dozen, but as it is content starved viewers should find this one very good indeed (and, there are some select pop-out effects, nothing particularly noteworthy but audiences will enjoy a few brief extra-screen exploits along the way, like Grug reaching out for a banana around the 21-minute mark).

The picture's presentation of fine detail and color doesn't miss a beat from its 1080p Blu-ray counterpart. The picture is beautifully presented and exceptionally well detailed. All of the terrain, character models (human and animal alike), trees, and other assorted odds and ends are tack-sharp, never looking in any way downgraded in the 3-D realm. The same may be said of the colors. This is a bold and vibrant palette which does not lose its luster in 3-D. Punchy fruits, dense natural greens, and all variety of intense reds and blues and every other tone leaps off the screen with plenty of depth and brilliance on display. Low light and black level elements are spot-on as well, and the image is free of any obvious source or encode blemishes. This is a very strong 3-D transfer that will at once delight format fans and maybe leave them lamenting the lack of new content on the market.

The Croods: A New Age 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Croods: A New Age features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, the same track found on the companion UHD release. The audio presentation is perfectly capable. It's large and in charge, a fun and fully engaging listen that carries the material with effortless verve and vigor. Clarity is outstanding even as the soundstage is regularly pelted with various sound effects, emanating here, moving there, all in seamless, saturating harmony. There's no corner left unfilled and no speaker left unused. The track is fully active with seamless harmony in every speaker and through the range of crisp high notes to deep and rumbly lows. Whether well spaced music or fully charged action elements, the Atmos track delights side to side, front to back, top to bottom. Discrete overhead use is not commonplace but it's a lot of fun when it's needed, such as during a scene in which monkeys stampede through the stage in the 50-minute mark. The sense of overhead movement and scene critical top end saturation is quite impressive, and that the track maintains balance and detail through the chaos is even more delightful. Dialogue is clear and center positioned, rounding a first-class track into top form.

The Croods: A New Age 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Croods: A New Age includes a commentary track, a couple of meaty featurettes, and a handful of kid-friendly extras, all of which may be found on the bundled 2-D Blu-ray; there are no extras on the Blu-ray 3-D disc. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase.

• Dear Diary: World's First Pranks (1080p, 2:54): Classically animated scenes in which Eep and Dawn pull some pranks on friends and family.
• Family Movie Night: Little Red Bronana Bread (1080p, 3:39): Dawn hosts and narrates a "movie" of her own making.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 1:51): Funny takes from the recording studio.
• To: Gerard (1080p, 7:32): A short film about a postal worker, a little girl, and a very special and magical coin.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 23:07 total runtime): Included are Thunk's Mirror, Grug's Stakeout, Mancave V1, Mancave V2, Parrotclam Forest, Phil Fails, Guy Gets Mad, and Supercut Thunk and Douglas. With intros by Director Joel Crawford.
• The Croods' Family Album (1080p, 8:24): A closer look at the voice cast that brings the characters to life. Actors and filmmakers also break down character's qualities and the characteristics the actors bring to the roles.
• The Evolution Of... (1080p, 10:17): A look at the movie's light tone and fun factor, story details and themes, technical details, the film's look, and more.
• How to Draw: Caveman Style (1080p, 29:05 total runtime): Included are artist instructions on drawing Eep, Dawn, Guy, Grug, Phil, Gran, Belt, and Sash.
• Famileaf Album (1080p, 2:58): How to make a Croods-inspired craft.
• Stone Age Snack Attack (1080p, 5:52 total runtime): Prepping tasty Croods-inspired snacks. Included are Fancy Fruit Leathers, Shark Milk Smoothies, and Supersized Surprise.
• Audio Commentary: Director Joel Crawford, Producer Mark Swift, Head of Story Januel Mercado, and Editor Jim Ryan explore the film with a bit of a technical leaning but also explore story, characters, and the like as well as the slightly heavier stuff.

The Croods: A New Age 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A New Age might very well split audiences. Grown-ups will find the first half more satisfying for its themes of family and, later, evolution to a new way of life while younger viewers will probably find the more action-packed second half more pleasing. But both ends have enough on offer to keep everyone more or less happy. It's a solid sequel, built not so much to be bigger and better but to move the world forward in meaningful ways, both within the focal Crood family and in the larger world around them. It's certainly a worthwhile follow-up that fans of the original should find to their liking. Universal's Blu-ray 3-D disc is terrific. Perhaps it will be a bittersweet release; it looks and sounds amazing but it's also a reminder of the lack of content on the format. But at least Universal is keeping hope alive. Recommended.