The Croods is an animated adventure comedy following a prehistoric family on their quest for survival. Eep, the teenage girl of the family, is tired of living within the confines of a cave with her cowardly family. But when a landfall destroys the cave altogether, the family has no choice but to keep moving. They discover an entirely new world filled with exotic animals and terrifying realities. The story isn’t too original, but the real originality lies within the animation, with the amazing landscapes and creatures created.

First off, the characters are absolutely hilarious and each have a unique trait that makes it fun to watch all the time. The voice actors are pretty spot on too, the standouts being Emma Stone and Nicholas Cage. Otherwise, the characters are not the main reason to watch this film, which leads us to the animation aspect of the film.

The animation is the single reason I would watch this movie a thousand times over. Its attention to specific details on each creature it creates is a treasure to watch, and the imagination the creators of this movie have is at a completely new level here.  From flesh-eating birds to dog/alligator hybrids, the originality overflows with every shot. Along with the creatures come the settings, which vary from colorful rainforests to towering volcanoes all greatly enhanced in the spectacular 3D.

And if you still need a reason to head out and see it, the movie is genuinely hilarious. The script and storyline may not be the most groundbreaking thing ever, but the spontaneous incidents and random character quirks are all addictive to watch, and before you know it the movie will have sped by to reach its surprisingly emotional conclusion.

Overall, the Croods is a light and action packed film filled with the best animation of the year so far. Compared to other animated movies, this is a must see. And if you’re worried about being a teen or adult going to a kids movie, trust me, there is plenty of adult humor to make you forget this movie is for kids.