THE CROODS 3D [2013] [Deluxe Limited Edition] [3D Blu-ray + 2D Blu-ray + Digital Ultraviolet] [UK Release] One of the Best Animated Movies You Will Ever See! Meet The First Modern Family!
Join the first modern family as they embark on the journey of a lifetime across a spectacular and unforgettable landscape. When their cave is destroyed, everything the Croods have ever known is rocked by seismic shifts and generational clashes as they discover an incredible new world filled with fantastic creatures, strange surprises – and their world is changed forever. If they don’t evolve, they’ll be history!
FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 2013 BAFTA Awards: Nomination: BAFTA Kids Vote Best Feature Film. 2013 Alliance of Women Film Journalists: Nomination: Best Animated Feature Film for Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco. Nomination: Best Animated Female for Emma Stone as character Eep. 2013 Awards Circuit Community Awards: Nomination: Best Animated Feature Film for Jane Hartwell and Kristine Belson. 2013 BMI Film & TV Awards: Win: Film Music for Alan Silvestri. 2013 St. Louis Film Critics Association: Nomination: Best Animated Feature Film for Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco. 2013 Toronto Film Critics Association Awards: Nomination: Best Animated Feature Film. 2013 Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards: Nomination: Best Animated Feature film. 2013 Women Film Critics Circle Awards: Nomination: Best Animated Female. 2014 Academy Awards®: Nomination: Best Animated Feature Film of the Year for Chris Sanders, Kirk DeMicco and Kristine Belson. 2014 Golden Globes: Best Animated Feature Film. 2014 Annie Awards: Win: Outstanding Achievement in Character Animation in a Feature Production for Jakob Hjort Jensen. Win: Outstanding Achievement in Character Design in an Animated Feature Production for Carter Goodrich, Shane Prigmore and Takao Noguchi. Win: Outstanding Achievement in Animated Effects in an Animated Production for Andre LeBlanc, Jason-Christopher Mayer, Jeff Budsberg and Louis Flores. Win: Outstanding Achievement in Directing in an Animated Feature Production for Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco. Win: Outstanding Achievement in Music in an Animated Feature Production for Alan Silvestri. Nomination: Outstanding Achievement in Production Design in an Animated Feature Production for Christophe Lautrette, Dominique Louis and Paul Duncan. Nomination: Outstanding Achievement in Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production for Steven A. MacLeod. Nomination: Outstanding Achievement in Editorial in an Animated Feature Production for Darren T. Holmes. Nomination: Best Animated Feature Film. 2014 Behind the Voice Actors Awards: Nomination: Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Feature Film for Emma Stone as the voice of "Eep." Nomination: Best Female Vocal Performance in a Feature Film in a Supporting Role for Cloris Leachman as the voice of "Gran." Nomination: Best Vocal Ensemble in a Feature Film for Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, Cloris Leachman, Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage and Ryan Reynolds. 2014 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards: Nomination: Best Animated Feature Film. 2014 Cinema Audio Society, USA: Nomination: Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures in an Animated Film for Corey Tyler (foley mixer), Dennis S. Sands (scoring mixer), Gary Rizzo (re-recording mixer), Randy Thom (re-recording mixer) and Tighe Sheldon (original dialogue mixer). 2014 CinEuphoria Awards: Nomination: Best Animated Film in an International Competition for Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco. Nomination: Best Animated Character in an International Competition for the character "Grug." 2014 International Film Music Critics Award: Nomination: Best Original Score for an Animated Film for Alan Silvestri. 2014 Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA: Nomination: Golden Reel Award: Best Sound Editing, Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR in an Animation Feature Film for Al Nelson (sound designer), Brian Chumney (dialogue editor), Dennie Thorpe (foley artist), J.R. Grubbs (sound effects editor), Jana Vance (foley artist), Jonathan Null (supervising sound editor), Leff Lefferts (sound designer), Mac Smith (sound effects editor), Pascal Garneau (foley editor), Randy Thom (supervising sound editor, sound designer) and Sue Fox (foley editor). 2014 Seattle Film Critics Awards: Nomination: Best Animated Feature Film for Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco. 2014 Visual Effects Society Awards: Nomination: Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture for Chris Sanders, Jane Hartwell, Kirk DeMicco and Markus Manninen. Nomination: Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture for Chris De St Jeor, Koji Morihiro, Line Korsgaard Andersen and Won Young Byun. Nomination: Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Motion Picture for Benjamin Venancie, Jonathan Harman, Philippe Brochu and Violette Sacre. Nomination: Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture for Andre LeBlanc, Jason-Christopher Mayer, Jeff Budsberg and Michael Losure
Voice Cast: Nicolas Cage (Grug), Emma Stone (Eep), Ryan Reynolds (Guy), Catherine Keener (Ugga), Cloris Leachman (Gran), Clark Duke (Thunk), Chris Sanders (Belt) and Randy Thom (Sandy)
Directors: Chris Sanders and Kirk De Micco
Producers: Jane Hartwell and Kristine Belson
Screenplay: Chris Sanders (screenplay/story), John Cleese (story) and Kirk DeMicco (screenplay/story)
Composer: Alan Silvestri
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: English: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio,
English: 5.1 Dolby Audio Descriptive Service
French: 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound
Russian: 5.1 DTS-HD Surround Sound
Dutch: 5.1 DTS-HD Surround Sound
Italian: 5.1 DTS-HD Surround Sound
Flemish Dutch: 5.1 DTS-HD Surround Sound
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Dutch, Italian and Arabic
Running Time: 98 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 2
Studio: DreamWorks Animation / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Andrew's Blu-ray Review: ‘THE CROODS’ 3D is a surreal, heart-warming and an intelligent animated adventure-comedy and is just a typical caveman day out, especially showing us the eponymous family of Neanderthals that is forced to leave the relative safety of their cave. This DreamWorks Animation organisation sometimes produces hit-or-miss animation from this studio. 'Rise of the Guardians' was superb in both substance and style, especially likes of 'Puss in Boots' 3D [that I thought was totally awesome], whereas 'Madagascar 3' and their most recent dreadful animation 'Turbo' have all been definitely thumbs down, big time! At some point all the CGI children's animation films that come out nowadays, sort of blend together. But the occasional release stands out, and it is usually a PIXAR production, but even that's an iffy prospect these days, but mostly it feels like a whole lot of sameness. Most of them are colourful, have simple plots, and have a few funny moments.
Anyway, we're in prehistoric times and the Croods are a loveable family of Neanderthals trying to do what every Neanderthal is trying to do, not get killed. It's a dangerous world out there, so the Croods tend to stay inside their cave cowering in fear. As Grug Crood [Nicolas Cage], papa caveman of this clan, always says, “Never not be afraid.” The Croods family is taught that curiosity is just about the most dangerous thing a caveman can have, so of course their daughter Eep [Emma Stone] is naturally curious. A good old strained father-daughter relationship is brewing here. But, the movie wouldn't be complete without a few comedic generic characters like the sassy grandmother [Cloris Leachman], the doltish son Thunk [Clark Duke], the congenial mother Ugga [Catherine Keener], the wacky baby, and the loveable stranger Guy [Ryan Reynolds]. Now that they've got the formula down it's time to run the characters through the predictable paces, picking up a few zany animal friends along the way.
So, now you know what you're in for. As far as a children's animation film goes, there's much worse out there than ‘THE CROODS’ 3D. At least the animation is absolutely stunningly and at the same time brilliant to look at. No matter that none of the animals featured appear to have come from this planet since not one of them appears to fit into the evolutionary chain at all. Giant flying turtles, land whales with stubby legs walking around in the desert, and leafy elephants just to name a few of the stranger creations in this film.
As far as competing with the strongest entries in the DreamWorks catalogue, ‘THE CROODS’ 3D is a great deal of fun. The hardnosed father Grug Crood is taught a lesson by his spunky young daughter in acceptance and living life to the fullest. In turn, she discovers that maybe her dad really does care about her and all that paranoid parenting actually meant something.
That said, there are some really fun animation antics in this DreamWorks Animation film. It's as if they said, screw the geological record, we're making our own evolutionary creations. Because of the inventiveness of the world of ‘THE CROODS’ 3D and the creativity applied in this animated film, where the animation film rises above other formulaic children's animated films, but enough to make it stand out among the rest.
The comedy only gets more inspired and idiosyncratic as we enjoy the antics of the Crood family and their environment. While most new cartoons feel as if they've been assembled by committee, the only credited writers and directors here are Chris Sanders and Kirk De Micco, plus, intriguingly, John Cleese, who worked on early drafts of the screenplay and their humour, shines through. They even get laughs from mother-in-law jokes and banana-skin pratfalls, despite those chestnuts being Stone Age comedy. By the way watch right to the end of the credits, as you get a nice little animated bonus.
THE CROODS MUSIC TRACK LIST
TUSK (Written by Lindsey Buckingham) [Performed by Alan Silvestri and the USC Trojan Marching Band and Arthur C. Bartner (aka Dr. Arthur C. Bartner) Music Director.
SHINE YOUR WAY (Written by Alan Silvestri, Glen Ballard, Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders) [Performed by Adam Young (aka Owl City) and Yuna.
PEER GYNT SUITE No.1, MORNING (uncredited) (Written by Edvard Grieg).
3D Blu-ray Image Quality – ‘THE CROODS’ 3D looks absolutely stunning in 3D and there is nearly no difference in brightness and definition between 3D version and the stand alone 2D image. Colours are vivid and bold, as are the details, which are really good. The image never appears any darker in 3D, which is a big plus, particularly in the film's more naturally darker scenes. Details still look incredible, right down to the finest terrain textures, whether gritty earthen elements or lush natural vegetation. The 3D effects are brilliant. General depth impresses me greatly. The transfer shows off the sprawling landscapes really good, again both the rocky lands to start and the more colourful vegetation areas later. Shots down on the ground are particularly impressive in terms of realistic spacing and depth. A few odds and ends do stand out; animal beaks and noses sometimes seem to extended beyond the front of the screen, while dust particles and other floating objects on the air seems to drift far back into and well out of the screen. Very little of the dreaded crosstalk effect was visible throughout the animation film. Overall, this is a brilliant 3D transfer. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
3D Blu-ray Audio Quality – This 3D animation film is provided with a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix, and matches the exceptionality image presentation with its audio experience. This is a very immersive, entertaining audio mix that sucks you in and never lets you go. There are plenty of examples where the movie's sound design makes great use of the seven channels. The opening chase scene where the Croods attempt to procure breakfast by stealing an egg and uses every audio channel with great dexterity, where the action zooms from one speaker to another. The sound travels flawlessly back and forth throughout the sound field. There are other moments, like when the earth starts cracking up, where the surround takes hold, providing deep, rumbling bass. Explosions of lava and smoke erupt from the earth's surface, causing the sub-woofer to roar. The rear channels are equally impressive. The soundscape of ‘THE CROODS’ 3D prehistoric world is a lively one. Once they enter the jungle the rear channels are alive with all sorts of far off jungle noises. This is an extremely interactive audio presentation and it is definitely one that the whole family will enjoy.
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: The Croodaceous Creatures of Croods [2013] [1080p] [2.35:1] Here you get a chance to have a light and interesting interactive supplement in which two of the film's characters teach us about the various creatures that is featured in ‘THE CROODS’ animated film and we are informed through a voiceover, and we also get to view graphics, clips from the film, animated drawings, and much more and they are as follows: BEAR OWL [0:43]; PIRANHAKEET [0:38]; BELT [0:37]; LIYOTE [0:29]; PUCH MONKEY [0:45]; TURTLE DOVE [0:43];TURKEYFISH [0:42]; GIRELEPHANT [0:33] and SHARKODILE [0:42]. As usual, you can either watch animal separately or Play All.
Special Feature: Belt's Cave Journal [2013] [1080p] [1.78:1] [6:15] Narrated by Guy and shares his companion Belt's history with the help of some basic simple animation. With this journal entry Guy tells the tale of Belt’s experience with Guy and the adventures they have experienced together, and especially with all the weird animals they have encountered.
Special Feature: Croods' Cuts: Lost Scenes [2013] [1080p] [1.78:1/2.35:1] [8:20] Here we get to view four separate lost scenes, but first of all we get an Introduction from Writers/Directors Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco [0:25] and then we get to view the following lost scenes, which are as follows: Crazy Grug [2:36]; It's Rain [3:08]; It's a Great Cave [1:09] and Termites [1:15]. The filmmakers Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco also introduce each scene and explain why these particular scenes were removed from the final cut of the animated film ‘THE CROODS.’ Some scenes appear in a very basic state of progression.
Special Feature: Be An Artist [2013] [1080p] [1.78:1] [35:16] Here we have an introduction with Supervising Animator Sean Sexton and is then followed by his lessons on how to draw the following characters from the animated film, which are as follows: LEARN TO DRAW BELT; LEARN TO DRAW THE MACAWNOVORE and LEARN TO DRAW THE MOUSEPHANT.
Theatrical Trailer [2013] [1080p] [2.35:1] [2:11] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘THE CROODS.’
Special Feature: Sneak Peek: Here we get to view two Blu-ray trailers for the following: ‘TURBO’ [2013] [1080p] [2.35:1] ‘SHREK THE MUSICAL’ [2013] [1080p] [1.85:1]. As usual, you can either view each one separately or Play All. Running Time: 3:35.
Special Feature: HOLIDAY FAVORITES: Here we get to view six Blu-ray and DVD trailers for the following: ‘SHREK THE HALLS’ [2013] [1080p] [1.85:1]; ‘MERRY MADAGASCAR’ [2013] [1080p] [1.85:1]; ‘KUNG FU PANDA HOLIDAY’ [2013] [1080p] [1.85:1]; ‘DRAGONS HOLIDAY: GIFT OF THE NIGHT FURY’ [2013] [1080p] [1.85:1]; ‘RISE OF THE GUARDIANS’ [2013] [1080p] [1.85:1]; ‘ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS CLASSICS’ [2013] [1080p] [1.37:1] and ‘VEGGIE TALES: Merry Larry and the TRUE LIGHT of CHRISYMAS’ [2013] [1080p] [1.85:1]. Once again, you can either view each one separately or Play All. Running Time: 5:34.
Special Feature: WORLD OF DREAMWORKS ANIMATION: Here we get to view the following trailers for the DreamWorks Animation Blu-ray releases and they are as follows:
‘SHREK’ Music Video: “I’m a Believer” [2010] [1080p] [1.85:1] [1:16].
‘MADAGASCAR’ Music Video: “I Like To Move It, Move It” [2005] [1080p] [1.85:1] [1:03].
‘HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON’ Music Video: “Fly High” [2010] [1080p] [2.35:1] [1:52].
‘KUNG FU PANDA’ Music Video: “Kung Fu Fighting” [‘Kung Fu Panda 2’] [2011] [1080p] [2.35:1] [2:07].
Finally, ‘THE CROODS’ 3D DreamWorks Animation offers a hugely satisfying animated film experience, particularly beyond the fairy-tale and predictable superficial dynamics. Under the surface is warm, welcoming story, a fun, honest, heartfelt tale of discovery, of satisfaction, of accepting new things, of understanding the greater world. It's a very sweet and touching experience amidst all of the humour, most of which hits and none of which falls completely flat. To be sure, there's not much room to reinvent the wheel, in this case, being the modern Family animated film, but there's something to be said for sprucing it up and getting the most out of its capabilities, which ‘THE CROODS’ 3D does very well. The DreamWorks Animation Blu-ray 3D release of ‘THE CROODS’ 3D also delivers an awesome 2D picture as well. The 3D transfer and the amazing sound are a brilliant factor to purchase this 3D extravaganza. A very nice array of extras are included, and the animation is sure to leave audiences of all ages extremely satisfied and all in all I was so happy to get this brilliant 3D package and has gone pride of place in my Blu-ray 3D Collection. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
