Flintstones, The (1995)

This comedy based on the 1960s TV cartoon series starred John Goodman (as Fred Flintstone) and Elizabeth Perkins (as his wife Wilma) and featured Elizabeth Taylor (as the delightfully named Pearl Slaghoople).

Helped by his best friend and neighbour, Barney Rubble (Rick Moranis), Fred wins a job promotion at the local quarry. But as other employees, including Barney, are sacked, Fred discovers that he has been tricked into an embezzlement scam.

The casting is almost perfect, the re-creation of Bedrock is masterly and the special effects are clever without being overly intrusive. And yet this live-action version of the classic cartoon series seems somewhat lacklustre.

Between them, the scriptwriting trio and director Brian Levant manage to lose the boisterous fun that made the Hanna-Barbera original so endearing, and not even John Goodman’s exuberant Fred or Elizabeth Taylor’s sly mother-in-law can atone.

Fred Flintstone
John Goodman
Wilma Flintstone
Elizabeth Perkins
Barney Rubble
Rick Moranis
Betty Rubble
Rosie O’Donnell
Cliff Vandercave
Kyle MacLachlan
Miss Stone
Halle Berry
Pearl Slaghoople
Elizabeth Taylor
Mr Slate
Dann Florek
Hoagie
Richard Moll
Joe Rockhead
Irwin Keyes
Pebbles
Elaine Silver
Melanie Silver

Director
Brian Levant