Krishna
The critics panned it but the audience loved it. I am with the audience on this one.
The story revolves around a prehistoric, Neanderthal family consisting of the father Grug (voiced by Nicholas Cage), his family of wife Ugga, daughter Sandy, son Thunk and the youngest daughter Eep. While the rest of the family is content to obey the strict rules required for survival in the prehistoric world that they inhabit, Eep (voice by Emma Stone) is a free spirit, rebellious in nature despite the dangers she invites. Grug is exasperated with her.
One day, in the night, when everyone is sleeping, she sets out investigating a light she sees and meets Guy (voice by Ryan Reynolds) from a whole new species (homo sapiens). He teaches her about fire. He gives her a shell to sound if she needs him.
When their cave and therefore the entire sanctuary they knew is destroyed by earthquake and they are attacked by (imaginary) prehistoric animals and birds with no shelter to get to, Eep sounds the horn and Guy comes back, with fire, and drives the animals away.
The search for the next cave and/or a new sanctuary and the conflicts created by the unofficial addition of Guy to the family and the feelings of jealousy this engenders in Grug are all the plot of the remaining film.
The movie is great. Just do not expect historical accuracy or weighty subjects. In fact the story is simple, and the entire world of theirs is populated by imaginary and sometimes absurd creatures. (One example is piranhakeets a cross between piranhas and parakeets, swarms of red furry birds that bite and strip off the bones of any creature)
The movie is really fast paced, with events overtaking them constantly, and danger lurking everywhere. They befriend a dinosaur like dog like creature they call Chunky. They also have, from the beginning, a talking sloth called Belt, which always stays wrapped around someone’s waist most of the time
Other lovely characters that inhabit the movie are the feisty grandma, the sabre toothed tiger and a dog they get on the way. Fun characters and fun world (populated also by carnivorous plants that can eat up man sized beasts)
The naming is clever, the characters are funny, and the events cleverly designed. If you decide not to question the logic or even the creatures invented for the movie, then it is an enjoyable ride; pure entertainment, very little education.
I think a 7/10 is in order.
— Krishna