One Million Years B.C. (1966) User Reviews (123)

Cavewomen were stunning apparently.

[mch-24 · 7/10 · 14 August 2010]

One thing that newcomers to Hammer need to appreciate is that many of their films are low-budget, and kitsch, and One Million Years B.C scores high on the cheese-factor even by Hammer's yardstick. The film's tagline is laughably off-target – "This is the way it was!" – I am almost positive cavewomen didn't have immaculately coiffured hair, push-up loincloth bras, eyeliner, and waxed legs, while their primitive menfolk did battle with dinosaurs that scientifically speaking died out many millions of years earlier. Needless to say, a willing suspension of disbelief is a prerequisite to enjoyment of this movie.

Inappropriate marketing aside, if you can get past these hurdles, B.C is an entertaining, if mindless, action movie, and one which is elevated to ongoing cult status thanks to 2 main factors - Raquel Welch and Ray Harryhausen.

Even if you have never heard of this film, chances are at some point you have been exposed to "that picture". Raquel Welch is THE reason this film's cult following is 95% male, and seeing her in her loincloth bikini is quite honestly a sight to behold. Fleeing from giant dinosaurs, and fighting with cavewomen, this role in a low-budget British monster movie is the one that put her on the map and created one of the greatest sex symbols ever to light up the silver screen.

Only just losing out to Raquel Welch as the star of the show, are the creatures themselves. Animated by the inimitable, legendary Ray Harryhausen (as far as I know the only special effects guru to become a household name in his own right) the creatures are brilliantly realised, and integrated seamlessly with the live-action elements. Aside from Jason and the Argonauts, and Clash of the Titans, this is some of his best work – the Allosaur attack on the shell-people's village being a real technical accomplishment and highlight of the film. The results are slightly marred though by the the integration of real animals, shot and superimposed to look massive. An early attack from a giant, half-asleep looking iguana is hardly menacing, nor is a (thankfully very brief) appearance by a gigantic tarantula that is trying to eat an equally gigantic cricket. These negative moments are forgotten though when Harryhausen's flawless stop-motion takes center stage, bringing us the iconic triceratops fight amongst other great set-pieces.

Thanks to the jaw-dropping "talents" of Raquel Welch, the rest of the cast are pretty expendable. Even main star John Richardson's character of Tumak could have been played by a monkey in a spacesuit when Welch was on screen, no-one would have noticed. Everyone plays as well as they need to though, given the grunt-riddled, running-away-from-an-imaginary-monster screenplay. The storyline is simplistic, (primitive man learns tolerance and civility) and is basically a thinly veiled cover for a series of awesome action set-pieces and monster vs human battle sequences, and a vehicle for the scantily clad Raquel Welch to run around getting sweaty and dirty, which can only be considered a bonus.

In summary, leave your brain at the door and you are likely to have a great time. This is a cult classic; a camp, entertaining showcase for Harryhausen's skills, and while shallow, has enough action and sex-appeal to please the average testosterone-laden viewer. Worth watching for Raquel Welch's magnetic presence alone.

Caveman allegory with Raquel Welch, John Richardson, and some really great Ray Harryhausen dinosaurs.

[stanhyde · 7/10 · 31 July 2005]

This movie came out in 1967, a year before 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY . . . but they've always been related in my mind. Maybe it was just the time, maybe you had to be there . . . but back in the late 60's there weren't many big "science fiction" productions . . . or in this case sweeping epics about the past or the future.

One thing the two films share is a lack of dialog . . . in both cases the director's sit back and the actions tell the story. As well both films are happy to display their special effects moments as set pieces . . . "hey, we spent a lot of money on this?!"

Don Chaffey's long cuts and static landscape shots at the beginning of the film are very much like Kubrick's shots of Africa at the start of 2001 . . . and both films are literal and allegorical treatments of evolution as a theme.

Of course, that went with the times. The late 60's were a point where the evolution of society was a focal point of culture in general . . . both the Star Child and Miss Welch in her iconic bearskin bikini became the late 60's poster children for mankind's evolution.

Interestingly, though Ray Harryhausen did the special effects for ONE MILLION YEARS BC, the film isn't at all like a Harryhausen film, nor is it much like the films of it's production company Hammer Films (except perhaps for the two sequels WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH, and CREATURES THE WORLD FORGOT.)

Hammer - with Harryhausen's involvement - had been interested in remaking KING KONG, but in the late 1960's RKO's rights to the Kong character were shared among Universal and Toho (KING KONG VS GODZILLA) and Rankin- Bass (the cartoon Kong which served as a basis for the Toho film KING KONG ESCAPES.)

In fact, right at the time that Hammer would have been inquiring, Toho would have been working on preproduction of a film in which King Kong met Mothra and battled a giant shrimp (Ebirah) in the South Seas. (That film mutated, Godzilla replaced KING KONG, and it became GODZILLA VS EBIRAH aka GODZILLA VS THE SEA MONSTER.)

So Hammer moved on to a remake of the Hal Roach 1(no YEARS) MILLION BC.

With it's lingering shots of vast landscapes, and the very Italian score by Mario Nascembe(with the percussion and use of a chorus it could almost be Ennio Morricone . . .), the film is pretty much unique in Hammer's oeuvre . . . and with it's focus on sex (well, possession at least) and violence in a harsh landscape of sharp desert light or fire lit darkness, it's pretty unique as a Harryhausen picture too.

Opinions about the film really depend on the point-of-view you adopt (again like 2001). Those who like their acting to be dialog driven complain about the acting, but actually everyone puts in a good performance here and I have no doubt that beautiful Napondi (Martine Beswicke) wouldn't think twice about impaling Luana (Raquel Welch) with that antelope horn she wields.

It's been speculated that the schedule was tough for Harryhausen, resulting in a scene with a photo-optically enlarged Iguana and Tarantula . . . although Harryhausen says the producers wanted those sequences added. (If you look closely you'll see a giant cricket in the scene with the Tarantula, probably the first giant cricket until 2005's KING KONG with it's herd of killer wetas, and doubtlessly in their to excite the Tarantual into a "performance.)

The fact that publicity photos show a battle between cavemen and a brontosaurus that never happens in the film probably backs up the story that the schedule was too short for Harryhausen.

Nevertheless, the stop motion on view is excellent . . . except for the Brontosaurus who looks about the size of Godzilla. The pacing and animation in the battle with the giant turtle Archelon is excellent, and most people just accept the turtle as real. The Allosaurus attack . . .possibly one of Harryhausen's most exciting sequences ever . . . is terrific. In many ways it holds up even today as a model of the integration of live action and special effects The classic Triceratops battle is interesting for utilizing a Ceratosaurus instead of Tyrannosaurus . . . but with our two heroes in the classic "trapped in a cave" position it's a bit static. However the Pterodactyl scenes, and the big volcano and earthquake finish are pretty riveting.

All in all, ONE MILLION YEARS BC is still a lot of fun if your in the right mood. Again, like 2001, the message seems to be that we can evolve and get better . . . but ultimately just as the monolith transforming Dave makes the standoff between Russians and Americans on the moon a non-issue, the battle between the Rock and the Sand tribe becomes . . . well . . . pretty irrelevant when the forces of nature - Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes - make mankind's aspirations tiny in comparison.

The film has been restored twice in the last decade, and the recent 20th Century Fox DVD has comparisons of the work done (the original negative was lost). The European version clocks in at 100 minutes . . . and most people say that it is an improvement, with more character scenes and a different order of sequences at the beginning of the film. The Fox version is the North American release version that is 91 minutes long. Spanish and English trailers on the DVD seem to be identical, with the narrator simply translated into Spanish.

Ultimately, any dinosaur or monster fan, fan of Ray Harryhausen's work, or fan of "Hammer glamor" is going to want to own this film.

She'll never live it down...

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 21 July 2002]

Raquel Welch's later, more solid acting performances will never erase our memories of this dinosaur-epic wherein she runs around in full cavegirl regalia. Then again, she may not want them to. Time has been surprisingly kind to this reworking of 1940's "One Million B.C." The special effects are very good, the wilds of prehistoric nature are often excitingly, colorfully captured, and handsome John Richardson is charismatic as a caveman who, along with Welch, ditches his tribe to set out on a personal journey. Yes, it's Raquel in a fur-bikini that most people will remember, but a good time is had by all. **1/2 from ****

Classic prehistoric hokum!

[Infofreak · 24 December 2001]

Watching 1970s TV screenings of 'One Million Years BC', the Connery Bond movies, the original 'Planet Of The Apes' and 'The Omega Man' made an enormous impact on my childhood that I don't think I've ever truly recovered from! Looking at it now as an adult you can see how laughably stupid it all is, but you can't help but still love it! The vision of Raquel Welch in her animal skin bikini nearly brought puberty on five years early for me. She's still a sight to see but the charms of Martine Beswick ('Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde', 'A Bullet For The General') are now more to my taste. She's sensational!

The plot, such that it is, concerns Tumak (John Richardson of 'She'), one of the "rock people" who look like spaghetti western refugees and like nothing better than grunting, wearing fur, and beating the crap out of each other. Tumak falls out with his old man and brother, is banished and after some aimless wandering around avoiding dinosaurs (and in one surreal moment a giant tarantula!), he stumbles across the hitherto unknown "shell people". They are blonde surfer types who introduce him to such innovations as improved spears, hot water, painting, crying and feminism. And also to the babelicious Loana (Welch) who takes a shine to him. Tumak still has "attitude problems" and ends up getting banished from their tribe too, but with Loana and a new and improved spear what more can the guy want? Of course he heads straight back to his homies and yes, there's trouble ahead including fraternal friction, a jealous ex (Nupondi, the stunning Beswick), lots of Harryhausen dinosaurs, and exploding volcanos. Does mindless entertainment get any better than this? Hardly ever. Add a cool score from Mario Nascimbene and what you have is a classic piece of unforgettably trashy exploitation.

The first classic about prehistory

[afonsobritofalves · 7/10 · 12 September 2018]

Despite being historically incorrect and having very bad special effects (mainly the iguana scene and the african wild boar scene), I find the film quite interesting, with a perfect stop-motian and action scenes, drama and quite good survival. Highly recommend.

a well-done and underrated remake with fantastic Ray Harryhausen creatures

[TheUnknown837-1 · 6/10 · 3 October 2007]

Both "One Million B.C." (1940), and this film, a remake, "One Million Years B.C." (1966) are films that are half-cherished and half-despised. They are what are classified as camp classics and I agree that both of them are exactly like that. They are both about equal in entertainment quality, but they must not be taken too seriously. Like I've stated in my review of the original "One Million B.C.", dinosaurs and caveman did not live in the same time period. They never knew of each other. But "One Million Years B.C." is a fantasy movie. It takes place in an imaginary world. And it must be treated exactly as it is: a fantasy.

"One Million Years B.C." is just as good, if not better, than the original film upon which it was based. It follows the same basic storyline and the same kind of plot. It's basically an ancient love story to perhaps explore the possible emotions of our ancestors. And then to add some campy, but innovative action to heighten the entertainment value. The film stars Raquel Welch, who in her fur bikini, is undoubtedly the most famous feature of the film. The poster shot of Raquel from this film is more famous than the film itself. And she is stunningly beautiful on screen. Also not all that bad in performance. John Richardson is a great equivalent to Victor Mature from the original and in my opinion, Richardson has a more convincing appearance and performance as a strong and bold warrior. And the rest of the entire cast is just more actors and actresses dressed in fur clothing and wearing makeup to enhance the appearance of an ancient race.

After Raquel Welch, the most famous feature of "One Million Years B.C." is the stop-motion dinosaurs created by the famous and brilliant effects artist Ray Harryhausen. Here, he is at his peak. It was animating dinosaurs in his youth when he began to learn to perform the art, so bringing them onto the screen was always right in his territory. The film features several dinosaurs, not enough in my opinion, I would have liked to have seen two or three more, but enough. All of whom are realistically created after hours and hours of hard work. And the dinosaurs are much more convincing than the people in rubber suits and giant lizards from the original. There is one graphically enlarged lizard in the film, however, and it turned out more comical than frightening with its hissing sounds and its slurping tongue. But not a bad effect or idea, nonetheless. The other dinosaurs, particularly the fearsome Allosaurus, are magnificently done. They even utilize the breathing mechanisms to make it appear as if the animals are actually breathing. And while stop-motion animation may seem obsolete now days, back in its day, it was the most convincing special effect in Hollywood. And it still remains to this day as a magical and popular animation technique.

Aside from the dinosaurs, the other special effects were acceptable for their time. There were a few moments where I could tell that the cave wall that two cavemen are shoving each other into was really made out of rubber. And a few other shots weren't perfect either, but nothing to get picky about. It is, after all, a 60s film.

Bottom line, "One Million Years B.C." is a very fine film and is very entertaining and satisfying if you just simply treat it as a non-serious fantasy film, which it is. Just sit back, enough the sight of Raquel Welch's stunning beauty, the magnificent Mario Nascimbene music score in the background, fine performances by the cast, wonderful stop-motion dinosaurs, and a great camp classic.

"Akita!!"

[richardchatten · 5/10 · 17 June 2022]

Vaguely similar to the 'Dawn of Man' sequence in '2001' and set long ago when women wore false eyelashes and permed hair, but hadn't yet learned to eat quietly. Raquel Welch in her first starring role was helped by the fact that she didn't need to learn lines, but the real reason to watch it is Martine Beswick as a feral savage called Nupondi. And the music by Mario Nascimbene is up to Hammer's usual high standard.

Colorful story set in prehistoric world with dinosaurs and a gorgeous Raquel Welch

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 3 December 2010]

This deals about the struggle of primitive cavemen and their battle against prehistoric monsters and other creatures . It's a remake of the 1940 movie by Hal Roach with Victor Mature , Carole Landis and Lon Chaney Jr . It starts with a prologue that tells you all you want to know about this "brutal world¨. This is a story of a long , long ago when the world was just beginning. A young world , a world early in the morning of time . A hard , unfriendly world with creatures that sit and wait , creatures that must kill to live. And man , superior to the creatures only in his cunning . There aren't many men , a few tribes scattered across the wilderness . Never venturing far , unaware that other tribes exist even , too busy with their own lives to be curious . Too frightened of the unknown to wander . Their laws are simple , the strong take everything . A chief named Akoba (Robert Brown) is leader of the Rock tribe . And his sons are named Tumak(John Richardson) and Sakana (Percy Herbert) from the tribe of the Brunettes. There is no love between them and confrontation emerges . Tumak meets a cave woman (Raquel Welch) from the tribe of the Blondes , both of whom trying to make a life for themselves and take on rival clan , subhuman, cannibalistic tribes and volcanoes on its ending in an earth-splitting volcanic eruption .

This classic Hammer -in its 100th movie- and Seven Arts production is a stupendous story of adventure , thrills and romance. The tale provides sweeping and exciting entertainment . The action scenes blend creatures and humans more seamlessly than ever before in cinema and has some nice battles between prehistoric animals . Surviving Brontosaurs, Triceratops, Dinosaurs ,Alosaurs, Pterodactyls are the true stars , rise to the occasion to amuse in an otherwise slow movie. The fantastic beasts look superb and are stunningly made by expert craftsmen as the spectacular special effects include dinosaurs , fighting between Tiranosaurius Rex and Triceratops , a giant turtle ,along with some superimposed iguanas, all of them are made by technician-artist Ray Harryhausen. As warns the movie the characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the names character or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional . Produced and written by Michael Carreras adapted from an original screenplay by George Baker . Wonderful cinematography in glimmer color DeLuxe by Wilkie Cooper filmed on location in Lanzarote , Island Canarias (Spain) . Exciting music and special musical effects composed by Mario Nascimbene with usual musical supervisor Philip Martell ; furthermore rare sounds by Roy Baker . The motion picture is professionally directed by Don Chaffey . Rating : Good and unforgettable for famous fur-trimmed bikini clad that you'll always remember .

Romeo & Juliet, Caveman-Style

[StrictlyConfidential · 4/10 · 22 August 2020]

Clearly a product of its time - "One Million Years B.C." (from 1966) is pure prehistoric kitsch where fur bikinis, creaky stop-motion dinosaur effects, and randy cavemen all add up to a decidedly mixed-bag of entertainment where you'll find that you're often asking yourself why the hell you even bothered to watch this goofy nonsense in the first place.

But - Hey! - If you're looking for lotsa unintentional laughs - This one's, literally, overloaded with 'em.

One of the best cave man epics out there

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 22 September 2016]

An epic adventure yarn from Hammer Studios, which as you would expect is a very visual movie in that it must tell a story through pictures rather than words. This is colourful, expensive-looking, action-packed film-making and a bit of a treat to watch, packed as it is with beautiful fur bikini-clad women and tons of monsters and dangers for our heroes to fight. ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. successfully depicts a savage and violent prehistoric world in which death is only a moment's notice away. Thanks to some good acting on the part of John Richardson, who plays the noble and heroic caveman Tumak, the human drama is always to the fore which keeps things interesting and not just another special effects extravaganza.

The film is chiefly remembered today for the sight of Raquel Welch running around in a skimpy fur bikini, and that really is an iconic image, summing up the spirit of fun which surrounds the movie. The plot basically moves from one fight/monster/adventure scene to the next and packs so much action in that you'll never become bored during the hundred minutes. Dangers include attacks from decapitating ape men; bloodthirsty dinosaurs, and giant creatures, all achieved through some top-notch (for the time) effects work, which incorporates back and forward projection; blown-up lizards (like in JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH) and spiders; men in ape suits; and, best of all, some fine stop-motion work from Ray Harryhausen. Here, the SFX maestro offers up such treats as a Triceratops fighting an Allosaurus, a Brontosaurus, an attack from a Tyrannosaurus rex and a Pterodactyl. All are staged lavishly and are a lot of fun.

More threats come from a giant stop-motion turtle which crawls across the sand to eat Raquel, and a vengeful turn from jealous caveman Percy Herbert. Then there's a cat fight between Welch and a rival cave girl (as played by Martine Beswick) and a tremendous climax involving an erupting volcano in which dozens of extras go tumbling into collapsing chasms. Richardson is heroic, Welch is stunning, the action is exciting and the pacing is spot-on - therefore I think I'm right in saying that this is one of the best cave man epics out there.

even Raquel Welch's breasts can't save this movie!

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 6 July 2005]

This movie is a remake of an earlier bad caveman film by the same title. The only interesting thing about either film is the casting of Victor Mature in the original and Raquel Welch in the remake. Casting Welch was not a bad idea, as watching her grunt, be chased by dinosaurs and dance around half undressed is indeed preferable to seeing Victor Mature do the same! However, this being said, all these elements do not add up to a movie any sane person would want to see. I mean, think about it, people grunting and using "caveman talk" for about an hour and a half!! Boy, even with Ms. Welch's breasts so prominently displayed, this movie becomes almost immediately boring! Think about that for a moment--this beautiful actress is scantily clad and yet the movie quickly becomes boring--it takes a lot of effort to do that!!

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

[steven-222 · 10/10 · 18 March 2011]

Take off your cultural blinders...the one you put on when you watch a "trashy" movie...and think about what you are actually experiencing as you watch this movie. Is it merely a "trash" entertainment? To be sure, Raquel Welch in her furkini, the now quaint quality of the Harryhausen effects, the girl fight between Raquel and Martine Beswick, all provide the frisson of "trash" delight. But this movie is much more than that, a tour de force of imagination, and a heartbreaking work of staggering genius. The vision of man adrift in a hostile universe, at odds with his fellow creatures, his own untamed emotions, and the apocalyptic earth itself, is haunting and beautiful. Our only hope is Raquel, who offers a transcendent vision of peace and love--without uttering a word.

Special kudos to the music. Where the special effects strain against their limits, as in the terrifying pterodactyl attack and the final upheaval, the music carries home the emotion. I am reminded of Schopenhauer: "The internal relation that music has to the true nature of all things can also explain the fact that, when music suitable to any scene, action, event, or environment is played, it seems to disclose to us its utmost secret meaning and appears to be the most accurate and distinct commentary on it." In a film where words matter so little, the music is especially crucial. As you watch the pterodactyl snatch Raquel and carry her off to feed its young while the other humans watch in helpless dismay, listen to the music, and think about the "utmost secret meaning" of what you are witnessing. This is an artistic moment of astounding ambition, and there are many such moments throughout this sustained meditation on man and the universe.

A few years later, the same team made Creatures the World Forgot, a more "realistic" look at prehistoric survival sans dinosaurs, with a Cain and Abel story that is riveting...and my god, the cave people are hot!

One Million Years B.C. (Beyond Credibility) - silly but fun

[jamesrupert2014 · 7/10 · 17 October 2019]

The brutal, dark-haired rock-clan and the enlightened, blond shell-clan struggle to survive in a harsh antediluvian world populated by giant lizards, immense spiders, and dinosaurs. 'One Million Years B.C.' is the first of Hammer Film Production's anachronistic prehistoric adventures and sets the tone for those that follow. The men are hairy and disheveled, the women hairless (except for thick, luscious coifs), have perfect teeth, and are (usually) lovely. Hair is important, as early man seems to have been divided into blonds, brunettes, and hairy-all-over, each of which has a distinct culture (gentile and progressive, nasty and barbaric, and primitive and cannibalistic respectively). Loana (Raquel Welch) is of the blond tribe (Ms. Welch's blondness is about as convincing as the iguanas standing in for dinosaurs) and the film is likely best remembered for the iconic poster of her wearing a custom-made, 'lifts-and-separates' fur bikini. Other than the occasional lizard stand-in, the dinosaurs are excellent stop-action models (by Ray Harryhausen at the top of his game), and the bleak, desert cinematography is sometimes striking. The film is a remake of the 1940 opus starring Victor Mature, which had a similar premise, and included a pig in a triceratops costume. Harryhausen (and I'm sure everyone else involved) knew man and dinosaurs missed each other by 60-odd million years, but blending sleek, sexy cave-chicks with huge, vicious reptiles makes for an entertaining world for men and boys of all ages (plus an iguana makes a better stand-in in for a dinosaur than a guinea-pig would make for a mammoth). Silly fun, but who'd expect more. I wonder how much inspiration author Jean Auel took from these movies - every time I see one of Hammer's fetching blond cave-women doing something primevally clever, I think of Ayla, the paleolithic renaissance girl in 'Clan of the Cave Bear'.

Would have become a cult classic if it was more campy - as it is, a boring straight prehistoric drama-adventure, with one very sexy lady in a furry bikini.

[Ben_Cheshire · 1/10 · 14 July 2004]

This would have worked much better as campy fun, which is what i was expecting. Instead, they set themselves the too-hard task of making a serious drama-adventure set in pre-linguistic times. They needed greater skills with physical communication (the likes of a Charlie Chaplin, or a Rowan Atkinson) to make this movie interesting.

Raquel Welch is a goddess, and looks good in her iconic furry bikini, but the rest of the movie suffers from a serious attack of taking itself too seriously, resulting in plain old uninteresting entertainment.

5/10. Maybe worth a rent to fast-forward thru to Raquel Welch's bits. Here's a tip: she first appears about 25 mins in. Otherwise, see King Kong or The Toxic Avenger, or Them! if you want to have fun.

Solid-gold

[ken-miller · 18 October 2002]

One Million Years B.C. is THE film that made me a movie fan and lover of all things prehistoric! Ray Harryhausen's creatures are great, the music adds superbly to the atmosphere, the location photography looks just right (just ignore the occasional obvious set), and there has never been a better-looking cavegirl than Raquel Welch!

A solid-gold guilty pleasure! Actually, what's there to be guilty about? This film is solid-gold entertainment!

Still Yummy

[Tweetienator · 6/10 · 16 February 2023]

Just to imagine that our ancestors lived like that! One Million Years B. C. is of course no documentary (for example mankind and dinosaurs missed the opportunity for a meet and greet only by a few million years) or to be taken too seriously but it provides a lot of fun and adventures. The production value is good, so is the level of entertainment. On top, we get gorgeous Raquel Welch as something like the first Miss Universe ever, and last but not least the movie reveals to us that even in those most ancient days of mankind, our ladies preferred to shave their beautiful legs to attract the attention of all those rough guys! Anyway, One Million Years B. C. is still a nice entry to the lists of Hammer Film productions. Last note: a couple of years later Hammer Film released another movie of that kind - When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth.

Common cause to survive

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 17 June 2014]

Raquel Welch literally bursts on the screen, mammaria bulging through her cave girl outfit in this remake of One Million Years BC. This is the film that made her a sex symbol for the Sixties right into the Seventies.

This remake of the 1939 classic where Victor Mature and Carole Landis became stars boasts Technicolor and some nice Ray Harryhausen special effects dinosaurs. Of course the fact that dinosaurs were not contemporary with cave men on the evolutionary journey is as irrelevant here as it was in 1939.

The plot such as it were follows pretty much along the lines of the 1939 story. Cave man John Richardson from one tribe meets cave girl Raquel Welch from a slightly more advanced tribe and in this prehistoric Romeo and Juliet story, the Montague and Capulet tribes do find some common cause to survive. If they didn't I'm sure we wouldn't be here.

Ray Harryhausen monsters and Raquel's bulging mammaria, what's more to want in a film?

Watchable, but just barely

[gbill-74877 · 4/10 · 19 November 2018]

This film is a vehicle for the special effects of Ray Harryhausen, who gives us a steady succession of giant creatures which menace small bands of spear carrying humans, as well as for the scantily clad and buxom females, led by Raquel Welch and Martine Beswick. The pterodactyl attack at the watering hole is probably the best scene, and the film is not without camp value. Unfortunately, a ten year old could have written the script, which is about as unsophisticated as they come. It's watchable, but just barely.

One Million Years B.C.

[chaosHD · 6/10 · 14 July 2008]

After working on Jason and the Argonauts together, director Don Chaffey and Ray Harryhausen re-teamed yet again for this film. Jason and the Argonauts was actually not that big of a success during it's initial theatrical run, and by the mid sixties these kinds of films were even less "in style". So, not surprisingly, Raquel and her glorious frame was the center of attention in all it's promotion and it paid off. Martine Beswick is actually just as easy on the eyes in this, in my opinion, but nevertheless went on to having a mere cult following, while Welch became one of the biggest sex symbols of all time.

Harryhausen's dinosaur work in this is very impressive. The only lame choice was using real regular sized lizards in some scenes, blown up to look big. They should of went with stop motion model work throughout the whole thing. The film overall is weak story wise, but the presence of Raquel and Ray's effects boost my rating to a 6, where otherwise it would of gotten a 3 or 4 without them. All the characters sporting 60's hair styles adds to the camp factor.

This review pertains to the Region 1 91 minute DVD released in 2003. There's a 100 minute UK cut, but as shown in the restoration comparison featurette, Fox was mainly interested in using the highest quality print, not the longest print.

Don Chaffey moves things along at a brisk pace and treats the struggles of primitive mankind with sincerity

[Colbridge · 5/10 · 14 June 2021]

This was one of Hammer Films most expensive productions to date as they explored other genres away from their mainstay of gothic horror, and it turned out to be a great success. They lured American star Raquel Welch to wear scantily clad outfits and face the perils of Ray Harryhausen's stop motion effects with not one single piece of dialogue being uttered throughout. With that in mind it is surprisingly engaging and fun to watch as we see a bunch of cave men overcoming power struggles, trying to avoid dinosaurs and giant turtles in the harsh volcanic landscapes of Lanzarote and dealing with a tribe of cave women lead by Welch.

It's a colourful remake of One Million B. C. (1940) with the added bonus of Ray Harryhausen who had revolutionised stop motion techniques to great effect in films like the 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and Jason & the Argonauts (1963). For a modern audience though brought up on CGI expecting Jurassic Park they will be wondering what all the fuss is about and find the effects here to be crude, quaint and unconvincing but it doesn't really matter because director Don Chaffey moves things along at a brisk pace, transports you to a world of fantasy where you are not sure what is going to happen next and treats the struggles of early mankind with dignity and sincerity despite it's historical inaccuracies.

The big selling point in 1966 was undeniably Raquel Welch in a fur bikini being splashed all over the poster who went on to become an international sex symbol but here she proves to be much more than eye candy and holds her own in fights, battles with monsters and saving men. In fact all the actors, notably John Richardson and Martine Beswick, do well to pull off a primitive world with little more than grunts, gestures and physical stunts.

Harryhausen and Raquel

[robert3750 · 7/10 · 21 April 2018]

Gotta love Ray Harryhausen's animated dinosaurs, although I was disappointed that the first one shown is just a blown up lizard. The other major attraction is Raquel. The instant she's on screen, the reaction is Holy Moly!! I was all of 11 when I first saw this movie, and I truly believe she helped bring about the onset of puberty. Whatta body! I watched it again last night, and I appreciate how she looked as much as ever. Goofy, unscientific caveman fun.

Epic but wearisome story of grunting cavemen against ridiculously inaccurate monsters.

[timleesongs · 2/10 · 16 January 2022]

A caveman is ostracised from his tribe, and walks the Earth trying to survive until he runs into another tribe and must prove himself.

You've got to admire Hammer for trying something so epic on a small budget, and there are certainly elements that save this film from being totally unwatchable (Ray Harryhausen's wonderful effects and Raquel Welsh's striking screen presence).

But a full film filled with cavemen grunting against ridiculously inaccurate monsters wears thin very quickly.

Never a dull moment

[drmality-1 · 9/10 · 1 June 2005]

This movie is everything a prehistoric adventure should be. Forget the fact that dinosaurs and man did not co-exist...this is just as much a fantasy as "Jason and the Argonauts" or "Star Wars".

The world of "One Million Years B.C." is insanely brutal, where man is the weakest creature in a harsh landscape of volcanoes and giant monsters. The Rock People have lives that are "nasty, brutish and short", where only the strongest survive. They are dominated by the rugged chief Akoba, whose two sons Tumak and Sakana are in a constant battle to see who will gain his favor. Sakana gains the upper hand and Tumak is banished into the wastelands. After dodging monsters, he finally arrives at the seaside domain of the Shell People, who are more cultured and civilized. He captures the eye of the beautiful Loana and the two have a non-stop series of adventures.

The narrative is direct and primitive, befitting the primeval setting. John Richardson is quite good as Tumak...he is decent but still has a lot of barbarism in him. As for young Raquel Welch, not even the special effects of Ray Harryhausen could outshine her incredible beauty in this film. Even in our own time, gorgeous babes like these are rare...they would be totally impossible in the prehistoric world. The stunning Raquel is pure eye candy and succeeds better in this regard than any other actress in film history. Especially noteworthy is her cat-fight with sultry Martine Beswick, no slouch in the looks department herself.

Ray Harryhausen outdoes himself again with brilliant stop motion dinosaurs. Look at the realistic movements of these creatures, which have not been surpassed by CGI. The ravenous Allosaurus who duels with Tumak is a particular stand-out, but the battling Triceratops and Ceratosaur are also pretty cool. The movie also features the more standard giant lizard dressed up and made huge, but even this scene is better than most of its ilk. An eerie scene featuring ape-men and some colossal earthquake and erupting volcanoes round out an exciting picture.

Don't look for anything really deep in this one. Just expect primitive action with plenty of monsters, battling cavemen and the awesome Raquel Welch. This movie does everything it sets out to do.

Decent watch

[Richie-67-485852 · 6/10 · 19 April 2017]

You got dinosaurs, prehistoric man (and women), adventure, thrills, desperate situations and the age old theme of man struggling to survive. Food is a constant battle and shelter not so much. Forget about clothes as they go bare minimum in this one. Remember, back in the fifties, this type of movie was a hit and can't miss. You pay your fifty cents, get your popcorn and cokes and you and your date along with friends went out and had a good time. Of course they always had a double feature plus a cartoon too. The speech in this movie is sparse but they make up for it with hand gestures and grunts of disapproval and approval proving that we can communicate with each other no problem. Notice the three different cultures displayed here. The rock people who live a hard life which makes them hard, these Neanderthal types that are one third man and two thirds beast and the beach people who are mellow and clean. Make you own detail observations please as I just wanted to make the point. I watch this every five years or so for some of the memorable scenes. The one where they catch a wart-hog, bring it home, roast it and then devour it with no regard to women, children or elders getting their share or any share makes you wonder about how these people will survive long-term. Survival of the fittest comes through quite clear. With the beach people, you get the impression that being next to salt water creates a different mindset for how you treat each other as they share and take care of each other. Definitely have your favorite snack and tasty drink on hand for this, have some meat finger foods like chicken wings or drumsticks for atmosphere and pick out a character that you want to emulate and relate to. Let your inner cave-person out....

Barely watchable (there may be spoilers)

[zarekin · 4/10 · 1 August 2022]

For modern audiences this movie is barely watchable. Aside from the obvious historic/scientific inaccuracies (if you don't know them there is no point in me explaining them) the special effects are horribly dated and the storyline is so simple they had to fill time with scenes of fights with animals or escapes from animals that really don't add to the plot and remark the inaccuracies in this movie. I watched it because of Raquel Welch and found the delightful Martine Beswick a further pleasure to watch but other than that there is not much to recommend. 4/10 because of Raquel's famous bikini.