Is Croods 2 ok for kids? Is the new DreamWorks animated film sequel ok for children? The Croods: A New Age Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, an honest parent guide to the Croods 2 film. No spoilers! #CroodsNewAge May contain commissioned links.
The Croods: A New Age Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide
They survived the end of the world. But can The Croods survive the end of 2020?
It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 7 years since the we first saw The Croods and over 9 months since an “in theaters” family-friendly movie release.
In this The Croods: A New Age Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, I’m talking visuals, the story, a full PG rating breakdown, and what kid age recommendation is suggested for this sequel. A no spoiler parent review – do The Croods take the crude humor a little too far?
Or is this surprising evolution for the end of 2020?
The Visuals
Visually speaking, DreamWorks animation films are pretty spectacular. I mean, I still can’t get over the How to Train Your Dragon 3 visuals, you know what I mean? The brightly colorful landscapes combined with the fantasy meets psychedelic creatures reminds me of the Trolls movie – the perfect setting for a very happy visual feast for kids and adults alike.
The Story
The funny thing about The Croods movie is that both of my kids and my husband saw the original movie before me. In fact, I literally saw The Croods for the first time…yesterday. It was cute, in a prehistoric, Shrek-meets-caveman, chaotic end-of-the-world sort of way. With more focus on funny caveman punchlines versus a creative storyline, I didn’t hate the original. But it definitely didn’t make my top animated films list.
Considering the all-star voice cast (including the original voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds) all coming back for reprising roles and the addition of talent of Leslie Mann, Peter Dinklage and Kelly Marie Tran, you’d think there would be a heavier focus on the storyline. However, following the footsteps of the original, The Croods: A New Age is yet another animated sequel with a focus on funny punchlines and crude caveman humor versus an original story. Oh, and maybe a better soundtrack.
While the end-of-the-world chaotic feel does calm down quite a bit for this sequel (not quite as dizzying as the fast-paced original), it’s still pretty predictable and familiar. There are strong themes of friendship, family, home, teamwork, courage – great discussion points with kids. But The Croods: A New Age definitely still has some scratching the Neanderthal head moments that have me wondering “where the heck did that scene come from?”
That PG Rating Explained
Is Croods 2 movie safe for kids? It’s no secret that I am highly skeptical of all MPAA ratings (um hello, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker not disclosing any language??). With film ratings unpredictable these days, PG rating oscillating between Incredibles 2 intense to Christopher Robin calm, having fully disclosed parent guidelines can help determine if a movie is family friendly – and worth possibly paying those Disney+ subscription fees. (Most recently, the Pixar Soul PG rating had a questionable amount of colorful language.)
Why is The Croods: A New Age rated PG? With the new DreamWorks animated film sequel, is The Croods: A New Age Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Parents, this PG breakdown is for you. The Croods: A New Age is rated PG for “peril, action and rude humor.” Uh-oh. What kind rude Croods 2 humor are we talking about? Is The Croods: A New Age safe for kids to see? Is Croods 2 ok for children? Or is rude humor and crude humor synonymous?
Violence. Animated violence is prevalent throughout the film, very much on the same level as the original. Humans fighting humans. Humans punching animals. Animals getting injured. While the violence is very kid-friendly overall, some of the results may be too disturbing for young kids. There are a couple of scenes with animals having “creepy” eyes, as well as a scene where humans are depicted in a creepy deformed state (think Willy Wonka tunnel scene). Definitely something to keep in mind for toddlers and easily scared children.
Adult Themes. The slapstick humor is also very reminiscent of the original, which is where the “rude humor” part of the rating comes in. Mild toilet humor appeals to kids, along with animal “butts,” relatable puns to modern society. Teen love is a main theme that does involve hand holding and kissing. And there are 2 scenes of humans “acting drunk.” And there are a few moments of scantily clad humans – used for humorous effect.
Language. Thankfully there are NO swear words to be found in this film. However, there are some strong derogatory words that may be sensitive for small children. Words such as “crotch,” “dumb,” and “stupid” are used throughout the movie to describe people.
What Age Rating Is Recommended to Watch The Croods: A New Age?
Is The Croods: A New Age kid friendly? With a runtime of 1 hour 35 minutes, it’s a DreamWorks animated film sweet spot for family-friendliness. However, the rude humor in The Croods: A New Age sets a pretty high benchmark for the kids age rating.
What age is recommended to watch The Croods: A New Age? What age is on par with the original if not even more so, I suggest this film for more mature kids – at least age 7-8 years old. I agree with the PG rating. Expect some of the humor to be missed by toddlers/preschoolers. But that potty humor – that never misses a kid’s ear.
The Overall
It’s the sequel that we didn’t ask for, but we got in 2020 anyway. Not quite a How to Train Your Dragon or a Shrek kind of sequel. But more of a “throw WAY back” to a reminiscent Flintstones family meets Ice Age. Unlike most surprises we received this year, it wasn’t one that I hated. Something about making the end of time feel more “lighthearted,” there are enough life lessons and family togetherness chocked in to make this sequel a more evolved film from the original.
But even more surprising is how much I thought I would dislike the sequel, but didn’t. In a 2020 year where it feels like it could be the end-of-the-world, I think we all could use a little more laughter. Sure, it wasn’t as creative Soul or action packed like Mulan. But maybe the colorful visuals and psychedelic vibes (very much like Trolls World Tour) have me hopeful for the future for kid sequels. Maybe I have in fact…evolved as a parent movie reviewer.
Or PSSH. Maybe that’s just end of 2020 talking.
Follow The Croods: A New Age on Social Media:
- Website: https://www.dreamworks.com/movies/the-croods-2
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCroods
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dreamworks
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecroods/
- #CroodsNewAge & #CroodsCare (donates FREE meals to Feeding America through 12/31)
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I was invited to screen this film in exchange for The Croods: A New Age Movie Review | Safe for Kids? All photos courtesy of DreamWorks/Universal Pictures. Be sure to follow Raising Whasians for more movie updates, celebrity interviews, entertainment and behind-the-scenes info!
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