It may be crazy to think now, but back in 1994, The Flintstones movie was a big deal! I remember a ton of hype around this and it was a movie that I was very excited to see. I think that The Flintstones is a product of its time, I saw this when I was about 12 and I thought that it was a lot of fun, but I watched it again recently and while I had fun with it, I can see why those over the age of 12 back in 1994 were not as into it as I was.
How to Download The Flintstones
The Flintstones was released on May 27, 1994. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform such as Amazon Prime Video. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
The Flintstones has a lot of good things going for it. They got Jim Henson’s Creature Shop on board and the animatronics look amazing. The sets here are incredible and I feel that the movie visually still holds up really well thanks to the sets and a great deal of the special effects all being practical and in front of the camera. The way they brought Bedrock to life is amazing. I certainly would never say that this is one of the best movies ever made, but I think that it is a technical marvel and still looks great and fun now.
Impressive Casting and Chemistry
They also managed to get a great cast. John Goodman and Rick Moranis are perfect as Fred and Barny. They have great chemistry together and they do feel very authentic to how they were in the cartoon. I also have to say that Halle Berry as the villainous “Sharon Stone” was a bit of an awakening for little 12-year-old me!
Plot and Character Dynamics
The plot of the movie is ok. It is not bad, but at the same time, it is not anything amazing either. To be fair, I feel that the plot does enough to keep kids interested. There is a villainous CEO played by Kyle MacLachlan called Cliff Vandercave and he and the very sexy Sharon Stone plan on robbing the quarry where Fred and Barny work and framing one of the workers for it.
Fred’s Unaware Involvement
While completely unaware, Fred ends up getting involved and for a short period of time, he becomes a real big shot, but the Rubbles end up in some real trouble as Barny ends up fired. The dissension between the two families is pretty rough and the way that the money and status go to The Flintstones’ head is kind of crazy. I never noticed it as a kid to be honest with you, but watching this as an adult, The Flintstones are straight-up assholes once Fred gets that promotion and all the money that comes along with it.
Balancing Humor and Visual Appeal
The Flintstones has some amusing and even funny moments, but there is nothing amazing. I would say that style over substance is probably the best way to describe this movie. During my recent re-watch on Blu-Ray which looks great by the way, I was taken in by the visual spectacle of the movie and how impressively made it was. In that regard, The Flintstones absolutely works. I just think that they could have done something a bit more exciting with the plot. Sure, Halle Berry as Sharon Stone is amazing to look at, but a bit more excitement in the plot would have been nice.
Final Thoughts
To be fair to The Flintstones, I do not think this is a terrible movie at all. It can be a fun time, but I will admit, once you get past how great it looks, the overall plot despite the interesting characters is pretty weak. Still, if this by some miracle did get a 4K release, I would be interested to check it out to see how much better it looks with a 4K restoration.
