Caveman (1981)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Nothing deep here. Just a "period" piece of sorts regarding men and woman of zillions of years ago. Every popular cliché in pop culture that you can think of about "caveman" and dinosaurs is here in this film, and even a few new ones.It's a simple comedy that's mostly clean, but has a couple of toilet gags and sex jokes in it (shown, not told). Ringo Starr, Shelly Long, Quaid, Bach, Matusak and the Cheetos guy slap leather, hurl rocks, confront prehistoric beasts, invent "technology" and learn a lesson in the end about what it means to be "normal" and accepted.On that level, I guess it is kind of deep stuff, but otherwise it's just good film making. And I say that not because the shots are artistic, but because the film's narrative is one that is easily comprehended to move the story forward and make the jokes stand out more.I am of course looking at this film with rose-colored glasses because I saw it when I was younger. And though it's dated by virtue of its age, I think it still holds up. It was more aimed at the young adults of the 1980s, and not really young kids nor older mature audiences who like their films with a bit more sophistication.Either way, give it a shot and enjoy.

Caveman (1981): Dir: Carl Gottleib / Cast: Ringo Starr, Barbara Bach, Dennis Quaid, Shelley Long, John Matuszak: Inventive comedy set in those prehistoric days of yesteryear. It regards the rise of man through his sense of learning. Ringo Starr plays Atouk who is banished from his tribe due to an uncontrolled lust for Lana, chief Tonda's woman. He forms his own tribe and they discover fire, music, cooking, and learn to hunt, which leads to the biggest egg yoke in history. Intriguing concept is detailed within a series of creative subplots that climax with both tribes colliding. Dinosaur jokes are hilarious complete with a nearby ice age. Director Carl Gottleib is inventive and backed with hilarious dinosaurs whom Atouk must outwit. Starr is very funny as a nobody booted from his tribe only to form another to a higher degree of sophistication. The only drawback is the simplistic use of violence to solve the plot. Barbara Bach as Lana represents society's fantasy of women but how she is finally dealt with is perhaps the film's dirtiest sight joke. Dennis Quaid plays Lar, Atouk's best friend whom experiences the nearby ice age. Shelley Long as Tarla is the woman destine for Atouk and she even goes so far as to confront Tonda regarding Lana's whereabouts. John Matuszak provides the massive brute frame of Tonda who cannot throw a rock and let go of it. Well intentioned comedy about the pains of prehistoric life. Score: 8 / 10

I have not seen the movies since the 80's so for all I know if I were to watch it now I would hate it or find it completely unfunny. However, I have not seen this movie since I was a kid and as a kid I enjoyed the movie a lot. It used to come on all the time on HBO back in the day, but it seems one of those films that has completely faded from most people's memories. The film is basically a comedy about cavemen most likely making fun of the many cave adventures that were put out in the 60's and 70's. It has Ringo Starr as a caveman who is part of a tribe that treats him very badly along with kicking out the injured. His character yearns for the tribal leader's girl and who wouldn't as she is played by Barbara Bach who for my money is one of the most attractive Bond girls playing XXX in "The Spy Who Loved Me". This misfit eventually gets thrown out of his tribe, but ends up making his own clan full of a motley crew of misfits. The film might have been better had they gotten a better lead than Ringo, not that he is bad, but he is not really acting material. Granted one can say you did not really need to be all that much of an actor for this film. This movies is also Shelly Long's first feature film as her film career has to be one of the most bizarre assortment of movies ever. There are monsters in this one, looking just a bit better here than those found on the kid's show "Land of the Lost". I particularly liked the mosquito scene as a kid. So while I can not say for sure if I would like it now, I did find it pretty good as a child.

Runtish nice guy caveman Atouk (a wonderfully engaging performance by Ringo Starr) has the hots for the gorgeous, but stuck-up and self-absorbed Lana (luscious Barbara Bach, who looks simply stunning in her skimpy two piece fur bikini outfit). Atouk gets banished from his tribe by hulking brute chief Tonda (fearsome behemoth John Matuszak). Atouk becomes leader of his own tribe of misfits. Moreover, the sweet Tala (Shelley Long at her most cute and appealing) gets a crush on Atouk. Director Carl Gottlieb, who also co-wrote the blithely inane script with Rudy DeLuca, crafts a good-natured piece of silliness that unfolds at a constant snappy pace and maintains an amiably daffy and pleasant tone throughout. Sidesplitting comic highlights include the discovery of fire, the invention of music, a predatory tyrannosaurus rex getting stoned after eating marijuana, a gut-busting appearance by a shaggy and shambling Abominable Snowman (towering Richard Moll in gnarly make-up designed by Chris Walas), and Lana's ultimate comeuppance. The screwball humor remains endearingly goofy from start to finish; it never becomes too mean or vulgar. The delightfully ridiculous stop-motion animation dinosaurs by David Allen are especially hilarious. In addition, the enthusiastic cast have a ball with the broad material, with stand-out work by Dennis Quaid as Atouk's loyal friend Lar, Jack Gilford as blind old man Gog, Cork Hubbert as dwarf Ta, and Evan Kim as articulate Asian dude Nook. Alan Hume's slick cinematography makes nifty frequent use of wipes. Lalo Schifrin's robust, bouncy, funky score likewise hits the nutty spot. A cool and amusing romp.