The Flintstones (1994)
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After Fred Flintstone receives a promotion, he becomes entangled in the nefarious schemes of his boss.
The story
In Stone Age suburban Bedrock, Fred Flintstone and his best friend Barney Rubble navigate life in a prehistoric world. When Fred receives a promotion from his boss, Cliff Vandercave, he finds himself caught in a web of corporate intrigue. The situation becomes complicated when Fred and his wife Wilma decide to adopt a young boy named Bamm-Bamm. As Fred tries to balance his new role and his growing family, he must navigate the suspicious behavior of his boss while trying to maintain his friendship with Barney.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the Stone Age suburb of Bedrock, Cliff Vandercave and his secretary Sharon Stone plot to swindle Slate & Co. of its fortune. Fred Flintstone, who recently adopted a super-strong boy named Bamm-Bamm with his friend Barney Rubble, is promoted to executive after Barney secretly swaps his low test score with Fred's high one. However, Cliff demands Fred fire Barney. Fred refuses, leading to a period where he and Wilma become greedy and treat the Rubbles like servants. Eventually, the truth comes out: Cliff's 'modernized' assembly line is a cover for embezzlement. After a series of events including a search for the 'Dictabird'—a device that recorded Cliff's crimes—the truth is revealed. The film ends with the destruction of the assembly line, the clearing of Fred's name, and Fred choosing to return to his original job rather than accept a presidency, while the two families return to their normal lives.
- First release year
- 1994
- Runtime (minutes)
- 91
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Brian Levant
- Writers
- Tom S. Parker · writer; Jim Jennewein · writer; Steven E. de Souza · writer
- Cast and characters
- John Goodman · Fred Flintstone; Rick Moranis · Barney Rubble; Elizabeth Perkins · Wilma Flintstone; Rosie O'Donnell · Betty Rubble; Kyle MacLachlan · Cliff Vandercave; Halle Berry · Miss Sharon Stone; Elizabeth Taylor · Pearl Slaghoople
- Genres
- comedy; children's
- Themes
- greed; friendship; family
- Tone and mood
- comedy; lighthearted
- Setting
- Stone Age suburban Bedrock
- Premise and plot tags
- live-action; adaptation; prehistoric; buddy comedy
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1960–1966 animated television series
- Franchise connections
- The Flintstones
- Reception
- The film was a box office success but received generally negative reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 38 · scale: 100 · review count: 15; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Raspberry Award · Worst Supporting Actress · win; Golden Raspberry Award · Worst Screenplay · win; Golden Raspberry Award · Worst Supporting Actress · nomination; Stinkers Bad Movie Awards · Worst Resurrection of a TV Show · nomination; Stinkers Bad Movie Awards · Worst Actress · nomination; Saturn Award · Best Fantasy Film · nomination; Saturn Award · Best Costume Design · nomination; Saturn Award · Best Supporting Actress · nomination
- Production trivia
- The B-52's performed the theme song.; A prequel was released in 2000.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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