Movie review
November 25, 2020 · 95 min · PG · Kids · Fantasy · Animation · Comedy · Adventure · Family
The Croods are a wild cave family looking for a safer place to live. They climb a giant wall and find a rich green home that already belongs to the Bettermans, a cleaner, smarter family who act like they are better than everyone else. Grug worries that his daughter Eep and her boyfriend Guy will leave the pack. Soon the two families clash, then face a shared danger that forces them to work as one. The tone is bright, silly, and family-friendly.
The movie is mainly about family, change, and accepting people who live differently. What many viewers notice is a clear girl-power turn: the women form the “Thunder Sisters,” rescue the captured men, and get praised as strong and brave. Eep and Dawn also become best friends instead of fighting over a boy, which the director said was a planned, positive choice. There is light class snobbery comedy and a small green note about water and bananas, but not heavy race politics, queer plots, or big activist speeches. A normal kid would mostly see fun adventure plus a loud “women save the day” finish.
Community feedback
Was our 42% Woke rating accurate?
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Croods: A New Age.
Woke representation / casting
New lead teen Dawn is voiced by Kelly Marie Tran, an Asian American star, with a tan-skinned design in a big supporting role. The rest of the main cast is largely returning franchise stars. The story does not make race the plot. This reads as light modern casting choice, not a full identity-quota showcase.
24%
Woke political dialogue
Lines push pack loyalty, being yourself, and not judging different habits. There are no long modern activist speeches about race, gender identity, or current party politics. Dialogue stays simple family-comedy talk.
25%
Identity-driven story themes
Clear girl-power climax: women form the Thunder Sisters and rescue the men. Marketing and parent guides call out strong female teamwork. Eep and Dawn’s sisterhood is written to skip girl rivalry. Class-acceptance and light green notes sit under that. Noticeable, but the core is still family adventure.
52%
Western institutional / cultural critique
The Bettermans’ wall, snobbery, and “we are better” attitude get mocked. Overprotective parents and a secret man-cave look foolish. Privacy vs pack is played for laughs. This is mild social satire, not a hard hit on faith, Western history, or modern left activist framing of “whiteness” or patriarchy.
28%
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. Sequel adds new original characters and continues the Croods’ story. Casting swaps for new roles are not identity rewrites of known historical people or sacred canon figures.
0%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Almost no major news or social wave calling the film woke propaganda. A few scattered gripes about the Thunder Sisters girl-power beat exist, but evidence of wide anti-woke backlash is thin.
5%
Creator track record context
Cached scores for director, writers, producer, and casting lead are low. Public talk about this movie stays on family, joy, and craft. No strong pattern of identity-first activism tied to this crew on this title.
8%
Production
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