The Adventure of a Boy

The Adventure of a Boy is a 2018 American animated adventure drama film directed by Klay Hall and produced by Kristine Belson.

Produced by Disneytoon Studios and Walt DIsney Pictures it features cave children in a fictional prehistoric Pliocene era known (Similar to The Croods). The plot concerns a young boy named Ryan who is orphaned when his mother is killed by a Carnivorous Bear Owl. James flees famine and upheaval to search for the Great Valley, an area spared from devastation. On his journey, he meets four young companions: Emma, a 12 year old girl, Rosie, a 4 year old girl ,Tommy, a Cowardly 9 year old boy and Scruff, a homeless and abandoned Crocopup.

Plot
Near the end of the Cretaceous, a series of catastrophic events are causing intense  drought , and several herds of Cave People seek one of the last livable places, a paradise known as the "Great Valley". Among these, a diminished " Cave Family " gives birth to a single baby boy, named Ryan (Max Charles ). Years later, Ryan plays with Emma (Kyla Rae Kowalewski ), a tough, brave and fearless Cave Girl  who was trying to smash a beetle until her father (Liam Neeson ) intervenes; whereupon Ryan's mother (Susan Sarandon ) states that each Cave Family has historically remained apart. That night, as Ryan follows a Jackrobat , he encounters Emma again, and they play together briefly until a Bear Owl  appears. It attacks them, before Ryan's mother comes to their rescue. During their escape, she suffers severe neck injuries from the Bear Owl's teeth and claws. At that same time, an Avalanche  opens a deep ravine that swallows up the Bear Owl and divides Ryan and Emma from their herds. Ryan finds his dying mother, and receives her final words of advice in favor of his intuition.

Depressed and confused, Ryan meets an old Wise Man  named Vincent (Sam Elliott <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">), who consoles him upon learning of his mother's death. Ryan later hears his mother's voice guiding him to follow the Sun <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> past the "great rock that looks like a Turkeyfish <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> and then past the Volcanoes <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> to the Great Valley. Now alone in his journey, Ryan meets Emma once again and tries to get her to join him, but she arrogantly refuses his help and stalks off into the darkness after falling down a ravine.

<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Later, Ryan is accompanied by a young Girl <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> named Rosie (Cody Pennes <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">), whose cheery company bears him out of his depression. Soon after, they meet a Cowardly Cave boy <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> named Tommy (Dave Foley <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">) <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">. Emma, who is attempting to find her own kind, finds the unconscious Bear Owl inside the ravine. Thinking he is dead, Emma harasses him, during which she mistakenly wakes him up, and flees. She soon bumps into Ryan, Rosie, and Tommy, and tells them that the Bear Owl is alive, although Ryan does not believe her. She then describes her encounter (exaggerating her bravery), during which she accidentally flings Rosie into the air. When she lands, Rosie discovers a sad and lonley abandoned Crocopup <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">, whom she names Scruff (Tom Fahn) and brings him into the group. Seeking the Great Valley, they discover a cluster of trees of fruit, which is abruptly depleted by a herd of <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">  Piranhakeets  <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">'  ''<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Searching for remaining growth, they discover one tree still with leaves, and obtain food by stacking up atop each other and pulling the leaves down. Emma remains aloof, but at nightfall, everyone including herself gravitates to Ryan's side for warmth and companionship.

The next morning, they are attacked by The Bear Owl, but escape through a cave-tunnel too small for him to fit through. Beyond this, they discover the Turkeyfish-shaped monolith mentioned by Ryan's mother, and later a string of Volcanoes. Emma grows impatient of the seemingly resultless trip and decides to go another way, but Ryan refuses, telling her the way she is going is wrong and when she refuses to retract an insult about Ryan's mother, Ryan is angered and attacks her,  <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">however Emma is able to easily gain the upper-hand due to her aggression and huge strength advantage and dominates the entire fight. Defeated Ryan continues in the direction he was told, while the others follow Emma. However, Emma's route soon leads them into danger, as Rosie and Scruff become endangered by lava and Tommy gets stuck in a Tar Pit <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">. Ryan soon rescues them, and they soon find Emma harassed by a small territorial herd of "Ramu Birds <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">", t <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">hey then save her while disguised as a giant tar-monster, which frightens Emma. Angry, humiliated and heartbroken, Emma tearfully leaves the group.

<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Later, while crossing a pond, Tommy spies the Bear Owl nearby. Tired of being stalked and determined to avenge his mother, Ryan plots a plan to get rid of him by luring him into the water (using Rosie as bait) beneath a nearby boulder, intending to drown him. Their luring of the Bear Owl succeeds, but Ryan and Scruff have trouble moving the boulder, putting Rosie in serious danger. In the struggle that follows, the Bear Owl leaps onto the boulder and the plan nearly fails until Emma reunites with the group and helps Ryan and his friends to push both the Bear Owl and the boulder into the water below. The Bear Owl, who is still determined to attack the young Cave Children, tries to take Tommy with him to his death. Ryan and his friends mourn the loss of Tommy until Rosie finds him, soaked and exhausted, but still very much alive, to Rosie's delight.

<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Ryan meanwhile is now alone but then follows a cloud resembling his mother to the Great Valley, there to be joined by the others. Upon arrival, Tommy, soon reunites with his family, while Rosie introduces Scruff to her family, who adopt him. Emma reunites with her father and Ryan rejoins his grandparents. Emma then calls for Ryan to play. They join their friends at the top of a hill and embrace each other in a group hug.

Cast
Max Charles as Ryan

Kyla Rae Kowalewiski as Emma

Cody Pennes as Rosie

Dave Foley as Tommy

Tom Fahn as Scruff

Susan Sarandon as Ryan's Mother

Liam Neeson as Emma's Father

Randy Thom as Bear Owl

Sam Elliott as Narrator/Vincent