La Famille Pierrafeu

Making a live-action, feature film out of a cartoon show is definitely not an easy task, but the creators of this film pulled it off. THE FLINTSTONES is one of the most entertaining family films to come along in a good while. The great cast has a ball, particularly Elizabeth Taylor as Fred Flintstone's mother-in-law. Highly recommended!

Live-action adaptation of Hanna-Barbera's TV cartoon brings prehistoric blue-collar family man Fred Flintstone to life with the help of John Goodman, exceptional in the role. The world of Bedrock is excitingly captured, all the surrounding details look right, but unfortunately the script is a pale, shapeless mess. Also, who cast Rosie O'Donnell as neighbor Betty Rubble, the Snow White of the Sabertooth set? O'Donnell is far too brash and distracting as Betty, who was mostly around in the TV show as a foil for Fred's wife Wilma (adequately played by Elizabeth Perkins). O'Donnell should have instead played Fred's mother-in-law, although Elizabeth Taylor is game for this loudmouthed harridan. There are some laughs here--although not big ones--while the "plot" is weaker than any of those written for television. ** from ****

I was 8 years old when this movie came out and remember really liking it despite the lackluster reviews it received from not only critics but most of my friends as well. I don't remember anybody out and out hating it, it just kinda got one of those "meh" grunts whenever it was mentioned.

Now I'm twenty three and I just watched it again and I gotta say, I still think it's pretty damn good. And unless you just simply are not of a fan of the Flintstones cartoons I don't see how you can not like this film. It plays like an extended episode of the series, with a plot not unlike something we have seen in our Saturday morning reruns, but loaded with enough clever one liners and risqué humor to elevate it to a much more adult oriented comedy. It's also got tons of sight gags and background jokes that you will likely need some multiple viewings to appreciate. Not to mention the sheer scope and execution of the sets, costumes and animatronic and CG dinosaurs are really something to admire, especially for its day.

The actors all play their parts well too, John Goodman and Rick Moranis as Fred and Barney are the standouts but there's nobody here that I thought fell short. Yes, I would have liked to have seen Betty portrayed with somebody with more curves in the right places...I mean she was the hottie in the cartoon and Rosie O'Donnell's physique definitely doesn't live up, but you have to give credit where credit is due and while she may not look quite the same, she plays the part well and has the voice and trademark giggle down perfectly.

Is this a fantastic film no...but I enjoy it every time I watch it and I think the attention to detail and obvious care that went into making this movie alone should keep it entertaining for years to come and considering its unlikely anything quite like this will ever be done again outside of its sequels, I would not be surprised if this movie eventually earns its respect among film buffs in the future.

I liked this movie. Yes, the plot is predictable and weak, and in some cases over-familiar. Yes, the script is a bit weak in places. Yes, it is a little lacklustre, and doesn't quite capture the feel good nature of the show. But it is far from the worst movie ever. I really don't know what people were thinking when they gave this film such a low rating. Some of the worst movies I've ever seen, are Home Alone 4, Thomas and the Magic Railroad, Cat in the Hat, Disaster Movie, Epic Movie, Pokemon the First Movie and Batman and Robin, but this film doesn't deserve to belong to this category. On the most part, due to the enthusiastic performances of the cast, it was quite entertaining. John Goodman was born to play Fred. He looks the part, and put a lot of much-needed enthusiasm into the role. Rick Moranis is fine as Barney, very like what I imagine him. The prequel is probably better, but Mark Addy and Stephen Baldwin don't quite fit the bill as Goodman and Moranis. I also liked Elizabeth Perkins and Rosie O'Donnell as Wilma and Betty. As the villains, Kyle McLachan and Halle Berry play their clichéd characters more than adequately. I do miss Elizabeth Taylor when she was pretty, but she was game as Wilma's mother, though not quite in the same league as Joan Collins in the prequel. The sets and costumes are spot on, and the design of Dino was superb. All in all, I liked this movie, it's not perfect, but it is far from the worst movie I have ever seen. 6/10 Bethany Cox.

This movie is a must for any fan of the great cartoon series from the 60's. The special effects and the sets are incredible, they have put a lot of work into making that. Every little detail, that can be seen in the cartoon, is also in this movie, for example a lizard like dinosaur running on a wheel to pull an elevator. However, less work has been done to write the plot, which is somewhat week and full of cliches. John Goodmann makes a great Fred, but Rick Moranis' Barney does not really resemble Mel Blanc's from the cartoon. I think his laugh is missing, also the general way Mel Blanc's Barney speaks is different. Rosie O'Donnel's Betty, on the other hand, is good. This movie is still a must for any Flinstones fan. The plot is not the most important part of this movie, the way Steven Spielberg made drawings come to live is.