The Croods 2: a New Age

Seven years after The Croods received an Oscar nomination for best animated feature, the titular cave-dwelling family return in a bigger, better, splashier and more inventive sequel. This time, the old world meets "tomorrow" when the Croods, led by Nicolas Cage's knuckle-dragging father, Grug, stumble upon the edenic home of Stone Age hipsters Phil (Peter Dinklage, deliciously smarmy) and Hope Betterman (Leslie Mann). They quickly eye up the boyfriend (Ryan Reynolds) of Grug's spirited daughter Eep (Emma Stone) as a match for their own daughter, Dawn (Kelly Marie Tran). The families clash as the Bettermans try to eject their unwanted visitors, but events ultimately force them to work together. While the plot holds few surprises, the film moves at a cracking pace, offering an eye-popping fantasia of weird and funny creatures (the Punch Monkeys are a hoot) and beautifully realised environments. The jokes come thick and fast, and you're left hoping for more stories about this entertainingly quirky brood.