Animation
Good Times
Netflix takes a classic sitcom, Good Times, and turns it into a vulgar, violent, sexually-charged TV-MA show.
Life within the walls of the Bettermans’ farm is peaceful and quiet, but for the adventure-seeking Croods, it feels a bit dull. That’s why they search for trouble in order to combat the biggest monster of them all—boredom.
When Eep isn’t spending time with her boyfriend, Guy, she’s busy teaching her best friend, Dawn, how to survive like a Crood rather than like a Betterman. Sure, the technological advancements that Phil and Hope Betterman have made are impressive, but they just make survival so trivial.
It’s not just Eep that feels this way, either. Her father, Grug, and mother, Ugga, struggle with the slow days, too, providing more than enough trouble for the slow-going, more “civilized” Betterman family.
Just how much trouble can the gang cook up? Watch and see.
The Croods: Family Tree takes the high-stakes animations of its movie predecessors and tones it down. The Betterman farm just cannot compare to the dangers outside its walls—but that doesn’t mean that the Croods won’t find a few dangers anyway.
There’s scary monsters, perilous bouncing fruit and the ever-present “punch monkeys” we were introduced to in The Croods: A New Age. That’s not to mention the trouble the families get themselves into through their bickering. Though the overall message of the family being stronger when it works together is still present, it often takes a bit of time to get there.
Whereas the Betterman clan overcomes problems with inventions and generally tries to stay out of the way of wild nature, the Crood family stays true to their family name by quite literally tackling every problem that rears its head at them. Both strategies have their merits, the show suggests. The Bettermans learn that some problems need to be faced head-on, and the Croods discover that not every issue can be solved by a good-ol’ punch to the face.
The majority of the content concerns deal with standard slapstick violence and monsters which might be frightening to children. Additionally, Eep and Guy often flirt with one another, referencing kissing and cuddling, and their advances are often only thwarted by family members preventing them from going further.
Everything comes easy at the Betterman farm, which makes the Croods antsy to contribute in any way they can. When the Bettermans mention the dangers of the upcoming bounceberry harvest, the Croods jump at the opportunity to show their skills.
The introduction song mentions evolution, and a recap explains how the Croods and the Bettermans teamed up to fight “punch monkeys.”
Eep’s love interest, Guy, accidentally hits an animal with a rock offscreen. Guy and Eep flirt throughout the episode, referencing kissing, cuddling and enjoying being literally stuck together at one point. They also call each other various pet names.
The Croods chase after a “pigator,” and they all trip and fall. Fathers Grug Crood and Phil Betterman relax in nothing but loincloths in a steam room. Gran smashes her face into a table, and she slams her foot into Guy’s head. Phil slaps Grug’s hand away from vines.
Phil and his wife Hope are hit by bounceberries. Punch monkeys beat up Phil (they communicate via punches), and Guy translates that they are going to destroy Phil’s farm.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
Netflix takes a classic sitcom, Good Times, and turns it into a vulgar, violent, sexually-charged TV-MA show.
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