Monday Night Movie | The Croods

“The Croods” are an eccentric family of cavemen, who survive the harsh terrain by living according to a strict set of rules. But when their home is destroyed in the wake of an impending disaster known as “The End”, they are forced to leave their home of shelter and security, and into the wilderness of the unknown to find a new home.

Rating: PG (for some scary action)
Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Kids & Family
Directed By: Chris Sanders, Kirk De Micco
Written By: Chris Sanders, Kirk De Micco
Runtime: 98 minutes
Studio: 20th Century Fox

I loved The Croods. It was funny, well written, and wonderfully animated. However, as everyone knows, it was not geological change that threatened the Neanderthals, it was climate change and the arrival of Homo Sapiens, the wise human. Neanderthals were uniquely suited to cope with the harsh ice age environment of Europe that they evolved in for thousands of years in isolation. But as the climate grew warmer there a way of life disappeared they could not adapt fast enough. The arrival of humans added even more pressure to the already struggling Neanderthal population pushing them into extension.

The human race also faces a critical change in our world. Climate change is going to be much faster than most scientists predict. It is not that they are lying but they are playing it safe when giving predictions. The predictions they give are extremely frightening but the reality is much worse. The situation is very complex and has many contributing factors. The point is that as a species we must live up to our name of Wise Humans. We must make radical changes in the way we live and how we use the earth. Because if not the words of Guy will apply “The world is ending. Everything we are standing on will, right here, be gone. I am calling it, The End.

Like in the movie we are also standing on the edge of a cliff with a mining predator approaching from our past. The Croods must make the leap and become environmental refugees in search of a new home or be consumed by the hungry saber tooth tiger. Billions of people will either starve or become refugees when crops begin to fail on a global scale and put pressure on already fragile societies. The world is getting hotter and vast amounts of farmland are becoming depleted and unable to support crops. Water is becoming harder to find. Where will everyone go and what will they eat, how will they get water to live on? We stand on the precipice of apocalyptic changes.

In the end, the Croods make their way to a mountain cave where they live happily ever after. My question is if their previous mountain cave was destroyed by geological change what makes this mountain any safer? It is much like the half measures we take in the fight against climate change. They make you feel good but they do not do much. Big money interests run the world with only one thought in mind, squeeze more money out of the system at all costs.

I apologize for the dire movie review but like all good stories, it mirrors the world in which we live. A must-see on the David Taylor Movie List.

Ships Captain The Dread Pirate Dave

David is the Editor in Chief of Postcards From the Edge. I was born on a cold November morning on the showy plains of Colorado. Like my father, before me, I am an American Nomad.

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