Dreamworks The Croods Preview and Giveaway

I love when at the ripe old age of 58, I can get excited about an animated movie.  The Croods by Dreamworks is one of those movies.  From what I can tell, I am going to love it!

   

THE CROODS is a 3D comedy adventure that follows the world's first modern family through the journey of a lifetime. When the cave that has always been their home is destroyed – with the rest of their world not far behind it – The Croods are forced to set off on the first family road (or path) trip. Rocked by generational clashes and seismic shifts, The Croods discover an incredible new world filled with fantastic creatures, and a future beyond any they imagined. 

The Crood family dynamics, though unfolding a few million years ago, feel like they could come from your own household. Like most fathers, family patriarch Grug (Nicolas Cage) is fiercely protective of his wife and three kids. His hyper-vigilance has kept his cave-bound family safe, secure and....super- bored. Grug’s strong and dutiful better half, Ugga (Catherine Keener), accepts her husband's "fear is good; change is bad" mentality, as does their son Thunk (Clark Duke), who’s content with the static status quo. Feisty mother-in-law Gran (Cloris Leachman) never tires of needling (or sometimes assaulting) Grug; and stone-tough toddler Sandy might be the fiercest Crood yet. But leave it to a rebellious teenager (is there any other kind?) to stand up to parental authority. Grug's sole focus is survival, but Eep (Emma Stone) wants to actually live, and her curiosity about the world outside their cave collides with her dad's primitive rules. (Ever the defiant outsider, Eep gets her own ledge to sleep on while the rest of the Croods form a “sleep pile” for some group shut-eye.) A cataclysmic event forces the Croods to venture into parts unknown and rethink their way of living. En route, they encounter Guy (Ryan Reynolds), whose dazzling new discoveries – like fire...and shoes – shake up the Croods in unexpected ways. Most of the family (especially Eep) is smitten by Guy’s vision of a new place called “tomorrow,” but Grug sees the biggest calamity yet: a charming teenage boy from which he must “protect” Eep.

The Croods soon realize that if they don’t evolve…

they’re history.
But leave it to a rebellious teenager (is there any other kind?) to stand up to parental authority. Grug's sole focus is survival, but Eep (Emma Stone) wants to actually live, and her curiosity about the world outside their cave collides with her dad's primitive rules. (Ever the defiant outsider, Eep gets her own ledge to sleep on while the rest of the Croods form a “sleep pile” for some group shut-eye.)

If you watch the trailer below, you'll see that a couple million years hasn't changed family that much.  You may just see your own family in there.  I sure did.  My husband and I raised four daughters and we had many a moment like you'll see in this movie.

 With any journey comes discovery – and The Croods’s trek provides many “firsts,” including: the aforementioned family, road trip, fire and shoes, as well as the first pet, the first cell phone (OK, it’s a shell, but still) …plus: the first joke, the first pair of sunglasses, and even the first mid-life crisis.

I could go on and on about this movie.  I think it sounds like it is going to be amazing and hit close to home for all of us.  I hope you'll make a family outing of seeing this movie.  That is my plan.  Grammy, Poppa, Natalie, Lizzy and Jack out for lunch and a matinee of The Croods.  March 22 is the release date for this new venture from Dreamworks.

Now, if you were paying attention, the title of this post promised a giveaway.  I have a Belt plush toy.  He is the first pet in the movie.  I also have a movie poster for you. 

Mandatory Entry:  Tell me who you would like to take to see The Croods.  Kids, grandkids, friends?

Extra Entry:  Like The Croods on Facebook.

Please leave me a comment for each entry with an email to get a hold of you if you win.  I will draw a winner on March 17.

I received related products in compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.