Review of Caveman

Introduction

Ringo Starr takes centre-stage in this 1981 late-entry spoof of the caveman genre populated in the 1960s by Raquel Welch and/or a variety of Playboy Playmates. Providing the mandatory furry bikini filling is Starr`s missus and former Bond Girl Barbara Bach. With support from a very young and shiny Dennis Quaid (supporting a bum-fluff beard as Lar), and a pre-Cheers Shelley Long as fetching heroine Tala, this picture is more prehysterical than prehistorical.

It isn`t a Quest For Fire. It`s just good dumb fun shot mostly on location in Mexico with a bunch of actors hamming it up as our ancestors and mucking about with dinosaurs. The film was part-written and directed by Carl Gottlieb, better known as the screenwriter of Jaws (1975) - in which he also had a small part as the bloke whose dead head bobs out of the boat and scares the audience silly. Photography is by our own Alan Hume, veteran of many of the Carry Ons and Bond films.

Ringo (as Atouk) is cast out of the tribe by stone-outhouse tribal leader Tonda (The Goonies` John Matuszak). Linking up with fellow outcasts Lar, Tala and blind ancient Gog (A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum`s Jack Gilford), he builds up a tribe of his own of misfits who obviously have the upper hand on the evolutionary ladder to Tonda and his tribe of hairy men. All the while, Atouk wants zug-zug with Lana, Tonda`s main squeeze (Barbara Bach), much to Tala`s disgust.

Caveman is the picture referenced in episodes of Xena:Warrior Princess where the phrase "zug-zug" is also used for caveman nookie.

Special effects are by animator Dave Allen (not that one), and transport you to the world of Ray Harryhausen and Jim Danforth - although their dinosaurs never got stoned. Slapstick abounds, and if you like the idea of people falling into enormous piles of dinosaur poo this is the movie for you.

Video

Presented in anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1, the movie is bright, colourful and sharp. Wear and tear is absolutely minimal and digital artefacts are non-existent.

Audio

The soundtrack is in Dolby Digital 2.0. The score is by Mission Impossible`s Lalo Schifrin.

Features

Absolutely no extras, but there are subtitles in Cavemanish (Cavemanese?)

Conclusion

Really nicely silly. If this isn`t a cult classic, then it deserves to be. Watch man invent fire, cooking and music - all in one evening. See the world`s pudgiest Tyrannosaur, and the world`s first and largest fried egg. If you`re a fan of One Million Years BC, then this picture (set a zillion years BC) will probably tickle your funnybone.