CAVEMAN

Awesome illustration of Atouk astride a very Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins-reminiscent dinosaur in Caveman (© Richard Svensson)

After originally recording it off the TV on a VHS videocassette tape at least 30 years ago but without ever subsequently watching it, on 26 December 2019 I finally got around to viewing the 1981 prehistoric comedy movie Caveman, starring Ringo Starr, Barbara Bach, Dennis Quaid, and Shelley Long (albeit in DVD format, so the poor old videotape version still remains unwatched, and probably always will now!).

Directed by Carl Gottlieb and released by United Artists, it tells the tale of a puny caveman outcast, Atouk (Ringo's character), and how he gradually gathers together a loyal clan of similar misfits who finally stand up to and defeat a bullying rival caveman clan, thanks to a series of inventions and evolutionary ploys that they have developed throughout the movie, such as weapons, fire, upright stance, and even Atouk's ability to ride a giant reptile into battle as a veritable war-horse.

Unapologetically slapstick in style, it is packed full of great visual and aural gags. The caveman language is only rudimentary, so the movie has to rely heavily upon sight and sound effects. However, these no doubt help to grant it international appeal, as do some purposefully comical, sub-Harryhausen stop-motion dinosaurs, plus a man-in-a-costume yeti.

For as is virtually de rigueur in such movies, Caveman anachronistically juxtapositions cavemen (and women) alongside dinosaurs and a pterosaur, plus the afore-mentioned yeti and also a bizarre giant Venus flytrap-like plant with tentacles and amorous intentions upon a bewildered Atouk. My favourite monster was the giant unidentifiable quadupedal dinosaur with a horned snout and bulging frog-like eyes that initially terrorises the cave tribes but is later galvanised by Atouk as his battle steed.

Interestingly, in overall form this memorable monster bears at least a passing resemblance to certain of the huge and historically-significant if nowadays palaeontologically-outdated dinosaur reconstructions created more than a century ago by painter and sculptor Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins and still on outdoor display today in London's Crystal Palace park. Perhaps they served as inspiration for some of the prehistoric creatures in this movie?

Caveman definitely delivers a fun-filled 90 minutes' worth of prehistoric palaver, and also provides a striking reminder of how very beautiful the young Shelley Long was in the 1980s.

 

Finally, if you'd like to view a hilarious official trailer for Caveman, be sure to click here to watch one on YouTube.

And to view a complete listing of all of my Shuker In MovieLand blog's other film reviews and articles (each one instantly accessible via a direct clickable link), please click HERE! 

Publicity still from Caveman featuring Ringo Starr as Atouk (© Carl Gottlieb/Turman-Foster Company/United Artists – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)