Deliberate no-brainer comedy stars none other than Ringo Starr. Ringo plays Atouk, a caveman in one zillion b.c. who is considered inferior by the bigger and stronger men of his tribe, including the leader Tonda (John Matuszak). Cast out for attempting to get with Tondas' mate Lana (Barbara Bach), whom Atouk lusts after, Atouk forms his own tribe with misfits such as his good buddy Lar (Dennis Quaid), friendly stranger Tala (Shelley Long), and her blind father Gog (Jack Gilford).
The movie is co-written by Rudy De Luca and Carl Gottlieb, the latter recognizable for having contributed to the script for "Jaws" and having played Meadows in that classic. It's often silly and childish, sometimes a little tiresome, but it's not attempting to be anything more than a goofy good time for comedy fans.
The dialect spoken by our heroes and antagonists is most amusing: "aloonda" means love, "macha" means monster, "ool" means food, etc. "Zugzug" means...well, I think you can figure that out. It's not really that necessary to have a translation handy. The gags aren't always that successful, but the ones that work are pretty funny. One has to love the cartoon physics every time that Tonda tries to throw something heavy.
The cast is lively and engaging. Ringos' hangdog looks are perfect for his hard luck character, and Dennis Quaid is a total hoot as another guy who often can't seem to catch a break. Both the stunning Bach and the sexy Long look good in skimpy cavewomen clothes. The real highlight of "Caveman" is the fantastic effects work of Jim Danforth and David Allen: those dopey dinosaurs are just hilarious and endearing. Note that the critters are credited as playing "themselves", with the exception of the Abominable Snowman, who's played by Richard Moll of 'Night Court' fame.
Lalo Schifrin's music score is most amusing - the main theme is insidiously catchy - and there's plenty of fine location shooting in Mexico.
Incidentally, this is where real-life married couple Bach and Ringo met.
If you attempted to play a drinking game for every time a character name is uttered - especially Tonda - you'd be drunk before long.
Seven out of 10.
