Top-notch cast brings ‘Croods’ to table before Thanksgiving

In The Before — the time before COVID-19 made it harder for us to get together safely — Thanksgiving Eve was the informal start of the holiday movie season.

Like everything else, the movies have been reined in by the pandemic. But a couple of new movies are coming to theaters Wednesday.

Reminder: At least eight Milwaukee-area theaters remain closed: the Oriental Theatre, the Times and Rosebud cinemas, and Marcus Theatres' Hillside, Menomonee Falls, Saukville, Showtime and Southgate cinemas; a ninth, Fox-Bay Cinema Grill, has been dark since September. The ones still open have instituted safety protocols including lower seating capacity and staggered screening times.

Check theater websites for tickets and showtimes.

‘The Croods: A New Age’

Short version: That pre-modern Stone Age family sets out to find a new, better place to live, and discover a more advanced clan, the Bettermans, already living there. This DreamWorks animated sequel sports an even more impressive voice cast the second time around with Nicolas Cage, Catherine Keener, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Clark Duke and Cloris Leachman as the Croods brood; and Peter Dinklage, Leslie Mann and Kelly Marie Tran voicing the Bettermans.

Where you can see it: Starting Nov. 25 at AMC Mayfair Mall and Marcus Theatres' Bistroplex Southridge, Majestic, Movie Tavern Brookfield Square, North Shore, Ridge, South Shore cinemas; starting Nov. 26 at Silverspot Cinema; starting Nov. 27 at Avalon Theater

Off-the-grid options

“Planes, Trains and Automobiles”: Over the river and through the woods would have been a piece of cake compared with the trip back home for the holidays taken by Steven Martin and John Candy in this beloved 1987 comedy, continuing for a couple more days. It's showing at the Rivoli Theatre, W62-N567 Washington Ave., Cedarburg, Wednesday, and and the Avalon Theater, 2473 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., Wednesday and Thursday. Tickets and showtime information:

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Speaking of the Rivoli ... : The Rivoli wraps up its pre-holiday programmig with the Disney hit “Frozen,” showing at 7 p.m. Friday through Dec. 3. Tickets are $4 ($2.50 on Tuesdays). See for details.

“Stand!”: Now here's something you don't see, or hear, everyday — a big, spirited musical about an immigrant Romeo & Juliet-style romance set in the middle of post-World War I Canadian labor strife. Directed by “Stomp the Yard” screenwriter Robert Adetuyi, the musical stars Laura Wiggins, Lisa Bell, Gregg Henry and Erik Athavale. It's showing one time only in theaters, at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at Marcus Theatres' Majestic, North Shore, Ridge and South Shore cinemas. Tickets are $15. Info:

The Croods (left) meet The Bettermans (right) in DreamWorks Animation's “The Croods: A New Age,” directed by Joel Crawford. The Croods (from left): Thunk (Clark Duke), Gran (Cloris Leachman), Sandy (Kailey Crawford), Grug (Nicolas Cage), Ugga (Catherine Keener) and Eep (Emma Stone). The Bettermans (from near right): Phil (Peter Dinklage) and Hope (Leslie Mann).