The Croods was an animated hit back in 2013 which is really all you need to know about why we got a sequel. Did we need it? I don’t think so, but here it is.

We get the cast from the original back with Nicolas Cage and Catherine Keener as Grug and Ugga and they’re leading their family through prehistory only to come across a new family known as the Bettermans (Peter Dinklage and Leslie Mann). They have adapted to their surroundings and made adjustments to their living conditions that would be right at home in The Flintstones.

Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone are also back as Guy and Eep and their characters are still madly in love even though Grug has a problem with Eep wanting to have a life of her own away from the pack.

Grug has a hard time adapting to the Bettermans lifestyle and inevitably there comes a conflict between the two families. Note: Don’t steal any of the Betterman’s bananas. They go bananas if you do.

We get some clever sight gags such as the Croods’ teenage son obsessed with a window that functions like a stone-age TV and there are other scenes that are colorful to look at such as when Eep meets up with the new tribe’s daughter (Kelly Marie Tran).

Eep tries to convince her to leave her home and venture off from her sheltered family. It provides some mildly funny moments.

That’s how I can best describe The Croods: A New Age. It’s only a mildly funny movie that will keep kids entertained and for anyone else who enjoyed the first, they’re certain to get their money’s worth.

The movie does drag in its climax as we get the obligatory finale where a gigantic monster wants some of those aforementioned bananas and that makes it amount to a standard action sequence thrown in to give it some energy.

I am recommending it for its jolly spirit, enthusiastic voice work, and the message of togetherness and willingness to accept change.

Grade: B

(Rated PG for peril, action, and rude humor.)