The Croods DVD review

It seems this is the week for film reviews for us, what with our special trip to the West End on Sunday to see the preview of Moshi Monsters: The Movie and then being sent a copy of The Croods on DVD to review before it is released (on blu-ray and DVD) on Monday 9th December.

It arrived through the letterbox yesterday which was perfect timing. D was off school feeling poorly with a cold and a cough and so snuggling under a blanket to watch The Croods helped to cheer him up.

Suitable for all the family (as it is U rated), The Croods is a funny film but with a deeper message running through it too. 

The characters were all funny in their own special ways. We loved Belt's 'dum,dum,dums' which our youngest copied each time she heard it. And some of our fave moments in the film were the invention of snapshots and when Guy made shoes for all The Croods. 

The kids tell you about their favourite bits here:

There are a few extras on the DVD like Belt's cave journal, the movie trailer and 'Crood's Cut (lost scenes)' where we get a little glimpse at a few scenes that didn't quite make it into the final version. I love how the directors explain the reasons why these scenes weren't in the final film.
 

Ultimately there was a message of hope running through the film. When The Croods home and life as they knew it was threatened, they had to leave behind the methods of survival they had relied upon and step out into the unknown, being prepared to adapt (or not in the case of Dad Grug) and move forward hoping for a better tomorrow. Will The Croods be able to hope for tomorrow, risk making the changes necessary to do so, or will they cling to their past and have their very existence threatened?

The words spoken by The Croods daughter, Eep, when she says 'Dad, this isn't living, this is just not dying' ring true at many points in our own lives. Sometimes I think we all need to examine ourselves to see if we are hiding in caves of our own or whether we are prepared to be stepping out of our comfort zone in order to move forward. 

A great film on so many levels, this would make a great Christmas gift for both adults and children alike.

Disclosure: Mumsnet and 20th Century Fox very kindly sent us a copy of The Croods on DVD to watch for the purposes of review before its general release on DVD and Blu-Ray on 9 December 2013. All opinions are our own. For more information about The Croods, visit their website.