The Croods

THE GIST: The Paleolithic times are full of dangers and unknowns, but a family of cave dwellers is able to survive largely thanks to the father's constant fearmongering. Then, one day, his teenage daughter meets a young guy outside their cave, and things starts careening out of control . . .

The Croods represents another successful addition to the DreamWorks's stable of animated hits. Aside from Pixar, which was eventually absorbed by Disney, DreamWorks Animation is really the only other studio that consistently puts out quality fare that can compete with the venerable studio Walt Disney founded.

Their films are oftentimes quite original (think Shrek or Kung Fu Panda) and even when they don't necessarily reinvent the wheel, they still feel fresh.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Guaranteed to keep the little ones entertained, there are enough lines in the script to enthuse even the adults in the crowd.

Grade: 7