SALT LAKE CITY — As a guy who holds an unhealthy love for all things animated, I was surprised by my indifference to the marketing campaign for DreamWork’s new family adventure, “The Croods.”

Perhaps the intentionally blocked-out character designs didn’t transfer well to movie posters or the overly generic trailers seemed to play things a little safe. But there was something about the pre-release movement that had me walking into this “Ice Age” lookalike with very low expectations.

By the time the closing credits started rolling, however, my daughter and I were pretty happy with our 98-minute visit with the Crood family. The simplistic sweetness of the story elevated the tale above the occasional paint-by-numbers setup, and also made the inevitable sappy moments easy to indulge.

Doug and the Movies:

'The Croods' entertaining for all ages

"The Croods" is a cute story that delivers excitement, wonderful settings, endearing characters and some welcome messages about family and friendship.

In fact, I might be so cheesy as to say “The Croods” is surprising family fun.

So for those of you finding yourself a bit reluctant to pay for a prehistoric experience this weekend, here are three reasons "The Croods" may surprise you — in a good way.

The cast

Nicholas Cage and Ryan Reynolds have hardly been on a roll lately, and few people are waiting around for the next Cloris Leachman or Clark Duke project. So while the riding-high Emma Stone lends her voice to this ensemble cast, potential audiences may view the overall cast as uninspired.

Luckily, this is not the case. Each member of the Crood clan seems to really enjoy his respective assignment, which ultimately helps the audience believe in the character. For example, Cage's character, Grug — the Croods' patriarch — has one of the most recognizable voices in the film. But I never found myself asking, “Who’s playing this guy?”

Without worrying about the actors behind the Croods, it’s easy to get lost in the world they live in.

The journey

It should definitely be noted that “The Croods” pulls from some of the most hackneyed lines and stagnant physical gags Hollywood has to offer. But for kids, this is fine. It’s their first time hearing the I’m-going-to-turn-this-car-around joke. Parents and young-at-heart adults on the other hand may find gags like a group of unassuming monkeys beating up Grug a little too familiar.

Clichés aside, directors Kirk De Micco and Chris Sanders really do find a beautiful way to repackage the family road trip.

Since the Croods are a family terrified of leaving their cave, they’re just as awestruck by the new world around them as children in the audience will be. That means many scenes take time to explore the lush and colorful world, which adds to both the wonder and danger of the family’s adventure.

The audience

“The Croods” is unashamed of its for kids status, and as a result doesn’t “Shrek-out” by winking at adults or trying to mask edgier humor. Likewise, there’s no attempt to overcomplicate themes that have been done before.

In the opening scenes of “The Croods,” you get a sense of just how well these characters work together for physical survival, but struggle to find the same harmony in their individual relationships.

There’s nothing new or creative here, but because “The Croods” doesn't waste time pretending otherwise. The movie has lot of fun selling its message that families matter, and even though kids grow up, they never outgrow the love they have for their parents.

It’s simple and it’s sweet, and kids will be grateful for that.

One final note

Some critics are calling one of the central messages of “don’t be afraid of anything” “irresponsible,” and let’s be fair: If really taken to heart, the message is a bit reckless. However, one of the glaring weaknesses of the movie is how often and quickly the story forgets what it was talking about.

This specific theme is definitely a casualty of the film’s scattered attention span, so the risk factor of your child internalizing the new family motto is probably low. Still, on the drive home, you may want to remind your kids of the importance of safety labels, not running with scissors and looking both ways before crossing a street.

Conclusion

If you’re hoping “The Croods” belongs on the shelf with the best of Pixar or some of DreamWorks’ titles like “How to Train your Dragon,” you’re going to be disappointed. However, “The Croods” is a lot of fun and one of the best family offerings we’ve seen in 2013. If hearing your kid laugh is more important to you than being surprised, you’ll be in pretty good hands with this latest DreamWorks offering.

Travis has been writing tech and film reviews for Deseret News and KSL.com since 2010, and continues to contribute coverage for the Sundance Film Festival and other live events here in Utah. You can contact Travis at TSPoppleton@gmail.com.

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