Common Sense Media Review
By Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lackluster movie spin-off has rude slapstick humor.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Croods: Family Tree
What's the Story?
THE CROODS: FAMILY TREE picks up where The Croods: A New Age movie left off (but without any of the celebrity voice talent from the movie). The prehistoric Crood family has left their predator-filled former home to live in a utopian garden with their rivals, the more-evolved Betterman family. While they're no longer fighting for their very existence, the Croods face a new problem: boredom. Thunk adapts easily to the new relaxing lifestyle, but the rest of the Crood clan has difficulty turning off their fight-or-flight impulses. The Bettermans are not exactly thrilled with this chaotic intrusion on their idyllic lifestyle either. Meanwhile, teenagers Eep and Guy are still in love and trying to figure out how to flirt without family intruding. Can the Croods and Bettermans figure out how to co-exist peacefully?
Is It Any Good?
In the attempt to wring yet another spin-off out of the Croods franchise (following two movies and a prequel cartoon), it seems that there may be no more compelling stories left to tell. Kids who like the prehistoric world of the Croods will enjoy the fantastical animals and vibrantly colorful world in Family Tree. Otherwise, the storylines rely a lot on extended adventure scenes and there's not a ton of character development. Grown-ups wary of rude behavior and casual slapstick violence may have been willing to look the other way with the redeeming qualities of the fun original The Croods movie, but the subpar plots of Family Tree may not make the tradeoff worth it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the Bettermans and Croods treat each other. Sometimes they say nice-ish things but act in a mean way. What do you think would be a better way for them to resolve their conflicts?
There's a lot of hitting and injuries that would hurt in real life but are meant to be silly in the show. What do you think about cartoons showing violence as being funny? When is it okay, and when isn't it?
What do you think it would've been like to live in prehistoric times? Do you think you'd be able to live in a world where you have to find your own food and build your own shelter? What about living without electricity or internet?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 23, 2021
- Cast : Amy Landecker , Kelly Marie Tran , Darin Brooks
- Networks : Hulu , Peacock
- Genre : Kids' Animation
- Topics : Adventures
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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