Studio: Universal
Release Date: February 23, 2021
Rating: PG
Film: 3.5/5
PlotThe first prehistoric family is ready for another rocking adventure! The Croods have survived fanged beasts, natural disasters, and even young love, but now they must face their biggest challenge yet: another family! In search of a new home, the Croods discover a walled-in paradise created by the sophisticated Betterman family (emphasis on the “better”). As they try to coexist, the differences between the two families escalate into a full-blown feud, but when a new threat forces both families to embark on an epic adventure, they must all learn to work together...or they’ll all go extinct!
My ThoughtsFor some odd reason, I hadn’t seen the first Croods movie back in 2013 so I had to watch it on Netflix before tackling the sequel. Both my wife and I enjoyed the first story—although it was a tad too long—but the overall message was very pertinent especially in today’s Covid times.
The sequel is well done and has likable characters and an enjoyable story arc. All the characters from the first film are back with some new ones thrown in the mix to keep things interesting. My tolerance for animated films has waned over the years as I’ve grown older, but as long as they stick to about 90-minutes they keep me interested. This one clocks in at 95, but there’s nearly 10 minutes of credits at the end so the pacing is just about perfect for my attention span.
The presentation is excellent as most animated titles are. The color palette leaps off the screen with plenty of saturated colors and depth. The Atmos track throws in a lot of discrete effects but isn’t as aggressive as it could have been, especially with the overhead speakers and it lacks foundation-shaking bass.
Video 9.5/10Audio 9/10 (Dolby Atmos)
Special Features:• Dear Diary: World’s First Pranks
• Family Movie Night: Little Red Bronana Bread
• Gag Reel
• To: Gerald
• Deleted Scenes
• The Croods’ Family Album
• The Evolution of…
• How to Draw: Caveman Style
• Famileaf Album
• Stone Age Attack
• Feature Commentary
• UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy
ConclusionI could think of worse ways to spend an evening and if you have younger kids, they’ll definitely get a kick out of this one. The animation is excellent and the overall A/V presentation is engaging enough to keep me interested for the 95 minute runtime. Definitely give it a look.
Reference Review System:JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Anthem AVM60 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed ChannelsATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-980M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
SVS SB-3000 Subwoofer
JL Audio Dominion D110 Subwoofer x 2 (configured as tandem mid bass modules)
Mini DSP controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner
6 Replies
1162 Views