Kinda Crood

I was one of the few that was actually very fond of the teaser for DreamWorks' The Croods. That said teaser was met with mixed reactions, some of which were very negative while others couldn't find much to praise either. I guess I'm going to be in the minority again, because I actually preferred that teaser to the trailer, which just debuted today on iTunes.

Now it's not a bad trailer by any means, but I couldn't help but feel let down. The Croods looks a little more screwball than something like How To Train Your Dragon, as I have been admiring DreamWorks' recent turn towards more serious films that aren't crammed with tomfoolery, antics and yes... Those dreaded pop culture references! This looks like it'll be more in line with Madagascar, which is not necessarily a terrible thing. Madagascar, the third film in particular, used its silly tone to its advantage and made for a hilarious, entertaining romp. The Croods may or may not achieve this, and I have feeling it might not.

The more Ice Age-like feel clashes with the lush, colorful visuals and the big action-packed story. The world that DreamWorks' animators created for this film is flat out breathtaking and creative. No doubt it will be total eye candy, and not to mention the various beasts that the family of the Croods encounter on their journey. I also like that the trailer showed us more of Guy, which the early synopsis described as a man Eeb meets, a man who thinks ahead and about the future. Now he's known as the man with the brains, not the strength.

So basically, it's beautiful imagery vs. silly writing and humor. I have no doubt that Chris Sanders probably crafted a good story here, but the other director (Kirk DeMicco) was the man who helmed Space Chimps, an animated film from 2008 which many will agree was pretty bad. Though he may not be to blame for what we see in the trailer, it's a bit strange since Sanders normally avoids the silly stuff and goes for something serious, hence Lilo & Stitch and How To Train Your Dragon. This one may be a clash of two different visions, but hopefully I'm proven wrong on March 22nd.

From where I stand currently, The Croods reminds me of Blue Sky's upcoming Epic: A great-looking film, but one that is probably going to be more focused on comic relief and less on heart and character development. Again, I could be dead wrong and both will end up really impressing me. I am still looking forward to this and Epic, so who knows...

What did you think of the trailer? Did you like it? Or do you think this will be a clunker? Sound off!