Caveman . Austin Chronicle . 05-03-98

Caveman

DIRECTED BY: Carl Gottlieb

REVIEWED: 05-03-98

Caveman starts with the concept that any movie depicting dinosaurs and humans in the same place at the same time is inherently ridiculous, and runs with that idea. Carl Gottlieb is perhaps best known for his work on the script of Steven Spielberg's classic Jaws, but Caveman is strictly for laughs. During the course of the movie, Starr and his band of prehistoric outcasts discover fire, learn to walk upright, and (of course) discover music. Along the way they triumph over a rival tribe, led by John Matuszak, as well as a number of dimensionally animated dinosaurs. Given that the script is in a nonsensical language, it's a credit to the performers and to Gottlieb that Caveman manages to be as coherent as it is. The humorous dialogue is even more uproarious to those who have seen the likes of One Million Years, B.C. and When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, wherein the cast is forced to attempt delivering caveperson gibberish with real conviction. There's also a plethora of scatological humor, but it's good, if messy, fun. The animated dinosaurs are quite memorable, particularly an aged, nearly toothless Tyrannosaurus Rex that ends up stoned out of its mind on narcotic berries. The laserdisc of Caveman, although letterboxed, is pretty much a no-frills presentation. No trailers, no captivating "Making of Caveman" featurette, and, sadly, no Ringo Starr music video. Still, the film succeeds within the bounds it sets for itself and that's more than most of what's marketed as comedy manages to do nowadays.

--Bud Simons

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