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The Croods poster

Movies that feel likeThe Croods (2013)

The prehistoric Croods family live in a particularly dangerous moment in time. Patriarch Grug, his mate Ugga, teenage daughter Eep, son Thunk, and feisty Gran gather food by day and huddle together in a cave at night. When a more evolved caveman named Guy arrives on the scene, Grug is distrustful, but it soon becomes apparent that Guy is correct about the impending destruction of their world.

If you loved The Croods, the closest films we have are Bolt (2008), Rio (2011) and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009). All three share The Croods' whimsical and epic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is ParaNorman (2012).

πŸ… 71% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.1 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Kirk DeMiccowhimsicalepicwarmcozywittyplayful
11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix Β· HBO Max Β· Hulu

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See it on the Mood Map

If The Croods hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: The Croods: A New Age (2020)

Bolt poster
Bolt
2008 Β· dir. Chris Williams
πŸ… 90%β˜… 6.8animation Β· family Β· adventureDisney+

That same warm cross-country journey home, powered by loyalty over logic

The difference: A studio dog movie, not a wild prehistoric family survival story

Bolt is the star of the biggest show in Hollywood. The only problem is, he thinks it's real. After he's accidentally shipped to New York City and separated from Penny, his beloved co-star and owner, Bolt must harness all his "super powers" to find a way home.

Rio poster
Rio
2011 Β· dir. Carlos Saldanha
πŸ… 72%β˜… 6.9animation Β· adventure Β· comedyDisney+

A hyper-colorful world and a homebody forced out of their comfort zone

The difference: Trades cave survival for a tropical rescue-and-romance plot

Captured by smugglers when he was just a hatchling, a macaw named Blu never learned to fly and lives a happily domesticated life in Minnesota with his human friend, Linda. Blu is thought to be the last of his kind, but when word comes that Jewel, a lone female, lives in Rio de Janeiro, Blu and Linda go to meet her. Animal smugglers kidnap Blu and Jewel, but the pair soon escape and begin a perilous adventure back to freedom -- and Linda.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs poster
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
2009 Β· dir. Carlos Saldanha
πŸ… 46%β˜… 6.9animation Β· comedy Β· familyHuluDisney+

Same prehistoric herd bickering their way through fresh danger

The difference: A dinosaur-chase spectacle over the Croods' family-first stakes

Times are changing for Manny the moody mammoth, Sid the motor mouthed sloth and Diego the crafty saber-toothed tiger. Life heats up for our heroes when they meet some new and none-too-friendly neighbors – the mighty dinosaurs.

ParaNorman poster
ParaNorman
2012 Β· dir. Sam Fell
πŸ… 89%β˜… 7family Β· animation Β· adventureMaxHulu

An overlooked kid whose strange gift turns out to save everyone

The difference: Stop-motion horror-comedy with zombies, not a survival trek

In the town of Blithe Hollow, Norman Babcock can speak to the dead, but no one other than his eccentric new friend believes his ability is real. One day, Norman's eccentric uncle tells him of a ritual he must perform to protect the town from a curse cast by a witch centuries ago.

Trolls poster
Trolls
2016 Β· dir. Mike Mitchell
πŸ… 76%β˜… 6.4adventure Β· animation Β· comedy

A mismatched pair forced together on a trip that changes them both

The difference: A candy-colored pop musical, not a survivalist family story

After the monstrous Bergens invade Troll Village, Princess Poppy, the happiest Troll ever born, and overly-cautious, curmudgeonly outcast Branch set off on a journey to rescue her friends. Their mission is full of adventure and mishaps, as this mismatched duo try to tolerate each other long enough to get the job done.

The Secret Life of Pets poster
The Secret Life of Pets
2016 Β· dir. Chris Renaud
πŸ… 71%β˜… 6.5animation Β· comedy Β· familyHulu

A homebody's world turned upside down by an unwelcome new arrival

The difference: Apartment pets bickering in New York, not a family battling the wild

The quiet life of a terrier named Max is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray whom Max instantly dislikes.

Cars 2 poster
Cars 2
2011 Β· dir. John Lasseter
πŸ… 40%β˜… 6.2animation Β· family Β· adventureDisney+

Same globe-trotting animated escapade dropped into a stranger's world

The difference: Espionage-car caper, not one family finding its footing together

Star race car Lightning McQueen and his pal Mater head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix race. But the road to the championship becomes rocky as Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.

Minions poster
Minions
2015 Β· dir. Kyle Balda
πŸ… 55%β˜… 6.4family Β· animation Β· adventureNetflixPeacock

Same anarchic, gag-driven energy of misfits stumbling through the world

The difference: A villain-serving prequel spinoff β€” no family unit at its core

Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.

Inside Out 2 poster
Inside Out 2
2024 Β· dir. Kelsey Mann
πŸ… 91%β˜… 7.5animation Β· adventure Β· comedyDisney+

A family adjusting to unsettling, unfamiliar new territory together

The difference: Set entirely inside one teen's mind β€” introspective, not a survival trek

Teenager Riley's mind headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted poster
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
2012 Β· dir. Eric Darnell
πŸ… 78%β˜… 6.8animation Β· family Β· comedyMax

Whimsical and epic in the same breath

Animal pals Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria are still trying to make it back to New York's Central Park Zoo. They are forced to take a detour to Europe to find the penguins and chimps who broke the bank at a Monte Carlo casino. When French animal-control officer Capitaine Chantel DuBois picks up their scent, Alex and company are forced to hide out in a traveling circus.

The Angry Birds Movie poster
The Angry Birds Movie
2016 Β· dir. Clay Kaytis
πŸ… 44%β˜… 6.3animation Β· adventure Β· comedyParamount+

The same mix in both: warmth, then comfort

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

An island populated entirely by happy, flightless birds or almost entirely. In this paradise, Red, a bird with a temper problem, speedy Chuck, and the volatile Bomb have always been outsiders. But when the island is visited by mysterious green piggies, it’s up to these unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to.

The Lego Movie poster
The Lego Movie
2014 Β· dir. Phil Lord
πŸ… 96%β˜… 7.7animation Β· family Β· adventureParamount+

Common ground: parents and children

The difference: Leans harder into fantasy than The Croods does

An ordinary Lego mini-figure, mistakenly thought to be the extraordinary MasterBuilder, is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil Lego tyrant from conquering the universe.

In the mood for more whimsical?

all whimsical movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share The Croods’ defining feeling.