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Caveman (film)

1981 film by Carl Gottlieb From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Caveman (film)
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For the 2013 film, see Cavemen (film).

Caveman is a 1981 slapstick comedy film written and directed by Carl Gottlieb and starring Ringo Starr, Dennis Quaid, Shelley Long and Barbara Bach. The film is set during prehistory and revolves around the rivalries between cavemen. It’s an international co-production between the United States and Mexico.

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Plot

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Atouk is a bullied and scrawny caveman living in "One Zillion BC – October 9th."[4] He is infatuated with Lana, a beautiful but shallow woman who is the mate of Tonda, the physically imposing leader of their tribe and a notorious bully. Tonda exerts control over the tribe through intimidation and brute force.

After a confrontation, Atouk and his friend Lar are banished from the tribe. During their exile, they join a diverse group of misfits that includes Tala, a comely woman who becomes a love interest for Atouk, and Gog, an elderly blind man who provides wisdom and guidance. Together, the group faces numerous dangers including predatory dinosaurs and harsh environmental conditions. At one point, they rescue Lar from a "nearby Ice Age" region where they encounter a mysterious yeti, adding an element of mythical adventure.

Throughout their journey, the group makes significant discoveries that improve their chances of survival. They stumble upon sedative plants that help them manage pain and fear, learn to control fire, and develop early forms of cooking, music, and weapons. These innovations not only enhance their daily lives but also symbolize the evolutionary progress of humanity. Atouk learns to walk fully upright, marking a physical as well as social advancement.

Empowered by these newfound skills and knowledge, Atouk leads the group in a rebellion against Tonda. The battle culminates in Atouk overthrowing the tyrannical leader and assuming control of the tribe. Rejecting Lana’s shallow affections, he chooses Tala as his mate, signifying both a personal and societal transformation within the tribe.[5]

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Cast

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Production

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Filming was mostly done in the Sierra de Órganos National Park in the town of Sombrerete in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico. The river and fishing lake scene was shot in the Mexican state of Durango, and some scenes were filmed at the Churubusco Studios in Mexico City. The film features stop motion animated dinosaurs constructed by Jim Danforth,[6] including a Tyrannosaurus Rex which in one scene becomes intoxicated by a cannabis-type drug, animated by Randall W. Cook.[7] Danforth was a major participant in the special effects sequences, but left the film "about two-thirds of the way" (his words) through the work because the Directors Guild of America prohibited his contracted on-screen credit, co-direction with Carl Gottlieb. Consequently, Danforth's name does not appear on the film.[8]

The film's dialog is almost entirely in "caveman" language, such as:

  • "aiyee" – help
  • "alunda" – love
  • "bobo" – friend
  • "caca" – shit
  • "gluglug" – drowned
  • "guwi" – out to get
  • "haraka" – fire
  • "kuda" – come
  • "macha" – monster
  • "nya" – no/not
  • "ool" – food
  • "pooka" – broken/pain
  • "ugh" – like
  • "ya" – yes
  • "zug zug" – sex/mate

At some showings audiences were issued a translation pamphlet for 30 "caveman words."[9] The only English dialog present is used for comedic effect, when it is spoken by a caveman played by Evan Kim who speaks modern English but is understood by none of the other characters. Being a Korean caveman, by speaking English, he appears to be more advanced than the rest. At her audition, Long said she did not speak any English, but responded to everything with grunts.[9]

Barbara Bach and Ringo Starr first met on the set of Caveman, and they married just over a year later.[10]

Home media

The film was released on Region 1 DVD by MGM Home Entertainment on June 4, 2002. It was then released on February 17, 2015 on Blu-ray Disc by Olive Films.[11]

Reception

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On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 33% based on reviews from 21 critics, with an average rating of 4.7/10.[12] On Metacritic the film has a score of 55% based on reviews from 7 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[13]

Roger Ebert gave the film 1.5 stars out of a possible 4. The cast was "interesting", he wrote, but the main failing of Caveman was it being a spoof with "no popular original material for it to satirize. There has never been a really successful movie set in prehistoric times."[14] Ebert and Gene Siskel both gave the film a negative "don't see it" review on their TV show but softened their criticism somewhat by noting that its dinosaur-related sequences were amusing.[15]

Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that the film was "dopey, but it's also lots of fun", and that the real star was the special-effects dinosaur.[16] Pauline Kael of The New Yorker gave it a positive review, calling it "a funky, buoyant farce."[17]

Gary Arnold of The Washington Post gave it a mixed review. He was critical with the lack of originality but suggests younger audiences who have not seen it before may enjoy it. Arnold compares the film unfavorably to Three Ages: where Buster Keaton was able to bring his genius to that picture, Caveman struggles to overcome Starr's limits, and director Gottlieb fails to make use of other talented actors such as Quaid, Schreiber, or Gilford.[18]

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See also

References

External links

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