Plot
Eep (Emma Stone) is a girl in a family of cavemen
living and hunting in pre-historic times, talking about how
her family
is one of the few to survive, mainly due to the strict rules of her
overprotective father, Grug (Nicolas Cage). In their cave home, Grug tells a story to the family, which includes his wife Ugga (Catherine Keener), his daughter Sandy, his son Thunk (Clark Duke), and his mother-in-law Gran (Cloris Leachman)
with a character who mirrors Eep's curious nature. He uses this story
to warn the family that exploration and 'new things' pose a threat to
their survival, and says to never not be afraid. This irritates the
bored and adventurous Eep, and when the family falls asleep after dark,
she ignores her father's advice and leaves the cave when she sees a
light moving outside.
Seeking the light's source, she meets Guy (Ryan Reynolds),
a clever and inventive caveboy. She at first attacks him but then
becomes fascinated with the fire he creates and is eager to learn more.
He tells her about his theory that the world is reaching its 'end' and
asks her to join him. She refuses and Guy leaves, but not before giving
her a noise-making shell to call him if she needs help. Eep is then
caught by Grug (who had been searching for her), and is later grounded
for what she had done. Grug brings Eep home and is joined by the rest of
the family, who Eep tells about Guy and shows the shell given to her,
only for them to destroy it in fear of 'new things'. An earthquake then
occurs, sending everyone running for the cave, only to be stopped by
Grug moments before the cave is destroyed by falling rocks. They climb
over the wreckage to discover a land with lush vegetation, much
different from their usual surroundings of rocky terrain. Grug takes his
family into the forest to find a new cave.
The family is chased by a "Macawnivore" (a large, macaw-colored machairodont later called 'Chunky') and attacked by a swarm of "Piranhakeets" (deadly red-furred, piranha-like birds).
In panic, Eep sounds a horn similar to that which Guy gave her. Guy
hears this and rushes to her. Thinking quickly, he creates a torch of
fire, which scares the birds away. The other Croods are captivated by
the fire, having never seen it before. They steal Guy's torch and
accidentally set the land around them in flames. Some giant corn is also
lit, which rockets up to the sky, prompting a display of fireworks.
After feeling impressed by Guy's intelligence and 'ideas', Grug bottles
him in a hollow log to carry him in, then suggests that they take
solitude in the cave of a nearby mountain mentioned by Guy. Guy is
forcibly persuaded to lead the way and learns of the Croods' way of
living, which he thinks of as unusual.
After an unsuccessful hunting attempt, Guy, his 'pet' sloth, Belt (Chris Sanders), and Eep build a puppet
to fool and lure nearby animals. After they make a capture, the family
greedily devours everything they caught. Grug then tells another of his
morale-lowering tales, this time mirroring the events of their day. Guy
then tells a story of his own about a paradise he nicknames "Tomorrow".
The next day, the family reaches a path coated in spiked rocks which
Grug, Thunk, and Gran get pricked upon trying to cross them. A freed Guy
presents one of his inventions called shoes. He makes some out of all
the resources he can find for each family member. This gains him some
respect from the others except for Grug, who feels jealous of Guy's
cleverness. After Guy's ideas help the Croods on their journey, the
family members gain something. Ugga, Gran, and Sandy have their first
idea to get past carnivorous plants by hiding under flower heads as they pass, Thunk encounters and befriends a crocodile-like dog
he calls Douglas, and Eep and Guy grow closer while Grug is stranded in
a ravine forcing Ugga to go back for him. The next day, Grug shows the
others some of his ideas (like a see-saw, shades made out of wood, a
snapshot that involves the family being slammed with a flat rock) which
fail and humiliate him. They soon reach the mountain where Grug is
unable to convince the family that settling in a nearby cave is a better
option. Angry, he attacks Guy. The two become stuck in tar and Guy
reveals his family died drowning in it and their last words inspired his
traditions of "Tomorrow." Grug has a change of heart towards Guy and he
and Guy trick Chunky into freeing them by pretending to be a female
"Macawnivore" in trouble.
As they are about to reach their destination, an earthquake opens a
deep ravine in their path. Grug throws each of them across the gap and
reconciles with Eep while creating the first hug with her. Grug then
throws her across the ravine and is left behind. He takes shelter in a
cave and makes a torch. After seeing a blank rock face, he paints a
large cave-drawing of the Croods and Guy together. He then encounters
Chunky, who attacks him until Grug's torch is accidentally blown out,
panicking them both. The newly reformed Chunky lies near Grug, who has
his first good idea. He uses a skeleton carried by the Piranhakeets to
transport himself, Chunky, Douglas, and several other animals across the
ravine, barely escaping the oncoming "end" destruction. He, along with
the rest of the family and the animals, settle down in a paradise-like
environment. Grug becomes less protective, letting the family be more
adventurous and risk-taking, thus bringing happiness to them all.
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