California Man

*about a Cro-Magnon man attending high school.

*featuring Sean Astin as a non-hobbit.

*that's got Pauly Shore in it.

I just saw this movie again after many, many hundreds of years, and bugger me if it hasn't IMPROVED with age! (er, by that I mean it HAS...)

I was a bit like the Sean Astin character when I was at school. If only I'd had a caveman of my own to help me pull chicks, how differently things might have turned out...

Okay, so the movie has no basis in reality, but who would expect it to? Cavemen aside, it's a TEEN movie, and they NEVER depict real people or situations. At least, not on any planet I've ever been to.

This movie doesn't pretend to be anything outstanding. It's intended purely as entertainment, and that's what it is.

It appears to have been promoted as one of those frightful "Pauly Shore movies", but it's not. He's really just a supporting player (and is nowhere near as annoying in small doses, it turns out). This is Brendan Fraser's flick. If anyone else had played Link, I can't imagine the movie being as good as it is.

My one beef is that Sandra Hess ("Cave Nug") wasn't given enough screen time (but then, as far as I'm concerned, she's NEVER given enough screen time).

I never knew Scatterbrain had covered "Mama Said Knock You Out", either. That's cool.

Okay, I'm going for a lie down now.

Bye.

When I was in high school my friends and I watched this movie every afternoon for one whole summer. We memorized all the lines and would tell people not to tax our gigs so hard-core, Crusters. I totally disagree that this is a "Man's Movie". I think it's more of a "feel like you're in high school again movie". Brendan Fraser is HOT and if I liked girls, I'd think that the girls were too. Sean Astin's character, Dave, is a geek and will remain a geek because he can't get over his popularity issue. Stoney is cool because he says and does the unexpected. There's all kinds of editing errors and sometimes it doesn't make a whole lot of sense but I don't care. It's super-lame but it's fun to watch and fun to recite and I don't think I'll ever get sick of it. But then again, I could ride the Vapor in reverse all day long...

Excellent light hearted comedy with Brendan Fraser giving an excellent performance and well supported by Pauly Shore. Brendan seems to handle these caveman type roles well, see George of the Jungle, Monkeybones. Good family fun.

Encino Man is a comedy influenced by the wackiness of the grunge generation. The young cast, which stars Astin, Shore, and Fraser, is likely to be a major draw for teenagers and younger viewers, who will likely enjoy this movie.

The story is pretty goofy. Dave (Sean Astin) has major plans for putting a swimming pool in his backyard to at least get some popularity points with the neighborhood teens who could lounge by the water in the blazing California summer sun. But, when he's breaking ground, he digs up a block of ice with a casualty of the Ice Ages, primitive fellow who he and his hip buddy, Stoney (Pauley Shore), clean off and try to disguise him as a regular American teenager. Needless to say, a lot of mishaps arise out of this. But eventually, the grizzly Link (Fraser), is a pretty popular kid at the high school, and one that Dave thinks will help him get popular, too, in that popularity-by-association kind of way.

Matt Wilson, a jerky jock (Michael DeLuise) interferes with Dave's plans to just try and pass off Link as a normal exchange student. Already p***ed with Dave and Stoney for getting friendly with his girlfriend Robyn (Megan Ward), and with their increasing popularity--especially Link, who Robyn has a little crush on. Matt figures out Link's real identity, and it's a question of whether anyone will believe his story that Link is really from the Ice Ages. Not even the school's most popular jerk can get off easy with a line like that.

The cast and this silly story make it an enjoyable comedy. Teens are likely to enjoy Pauley Shore's scenes as the happy-go-lucky hippie throwback friend, Stoney, as he just seems like such a nice, giant goofball who can really have fun with this material. It's also pretty funny to watch a fellow from the Ice Age trying to adapt to modern teenage life, much like the historical dudes did in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. It's even got some sweet tunes on the soundtrack. So loosen up and enjoy it already.

I'm not sure why, but still to this day I love to sit down to Encino Man. I think because I just loved it as a child and it's like that blankie you can't get rid off. Also, you need those comedies that you can just sit down too and just have fun and relax. Yes, it has Pauly Shore which granted can be scare-E! :D But he's actually amusing as well in the film.

We see a very young Brendon Fraser as Link the caveman, yes, he doesn't have much to work with the grunting and such. But he was just priceless in that club scene and the seven eleven with Pauly. He's also just so cute and lovable when he sees Dave and Stoney getting into a fight and he pulls David back screaming to him "Family!". It was actually touching, I'm serious. Sean Austin plays Dave, he's come such a long way and in my opinion is the most successful child star to not get hooked on drugs or let the industry take him over. He does such a good job as the pretty self centered and insecure but nevertheless lovable guy who wants to get the girl. Pauly plays Stoney, a well, I think he's somewhat of a stoner. :D But he's pretty funny in the film with some of his lines. Come on, I think we all dug him in his day.

While yes, Encino Man is not Oscar material, it's just a fun time to sit down and enjoy with your friends. So, a 5.0? It's just a movie, let go and grab the popcorn for a few laughs. If you didn't laugh at that scene where Link speaks Spanish to the Hispanic gang members, you have some serious issues.

7/10