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Summary: Astounding, gripping, touching
Review: Even though it's been decades since receiving an anthropology degree, this film transports me to the dawn of time in a way no other movie or book has. A time when we knew so little of our world. A time of awe; a time of danger. One extraordinary woman shows us guys a thing or two about technology. Starring Rae Dawn Chong (daughter of Cheech and Chong's Tommy Chong).
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Summary: Somewhere, sometime we lived this anthropological suspense.
Review: If you truly want to delve into your roots...this is the flick to see. Fascinating view over the shoulder of a Neolithic family. Don't miss it!
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Summary: A wonderful look back in time.
Review: Sit back with your loved one, and enjoy the way life used to be. A long, long time ago.
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Summary: A Great Film
Review: Rae Dawn Chong makes it a worthwhile watch. I've been in love with her since seeing the movie on HBO many years ago.Oh yeah, the other actors are good also...
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Summary: Excellent movie.
Review: For an early eightys movie, I thought "Quest for Fire" was a great movie which depicted the ways of early mankind and explained just how important stuff that we take for granted today was once so heavily relied upon. I thought the asian circus elephants covered in musk ox hair was an excellent depiction of the wooly mammoths of pleistocene europe. The two lions wearing saber teeth was also a great example of how historical movies like that can be made succesful without top dollar computerized animal characters much like "Jumanji" or the newest movie "Ice Age." Many people complain of how historically inaccurate the story is. However, that simply isnt true, and anybody who reads the book first would see why. The story starts of in 78,000 B.c. in ice age Europe. Many people complain that cro magnan didnt show up until about 10,000 B.C. Several other reviewers said that the characters were much too primative in their language and overall behavior. However, the story book tells that the 3 main characters were Neanderthals...so the movie isnt all that inaccurate and lousy to a historian point of view. I thought Quest for Fire was an excellent movie in both plot and cast and it deffinently has my 2 thumbs up.
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Summary: A Literal Quest For Fire
Review: A literal quest for fire by prehistoric humans set 80,000 years in the past.
A peaceful tribe of prehistoric humans, unable to create fire, loose their only source of flame due to a another tribe's attack. Three of the tribe leave their home to search for a new source of fire to bring back to their people before the cold climate can take its toll. Their journey brings them not only into contact with other tribes of prehistoric humans at different stages of evolution but also advances their own humanity, as well as teaching them to be "prometheuses" in their own right.
I found this film to be a bit stereotypical. I mean, come on, it's the female who can create fire, it's the female who knows more than one position for sex...at least a male did try to create the first domesticated pet (here mammoth mammoth mammoth - the last time I watched it all I could hear was Manfred the mammoth from the cartoon "Ice Age" - "Oh look, dinner and a show"). An early scene explains why a singles bar is sometimes called a watering hole (not much has changed) and there is also a scene that must be the inspiration for the "shoulda remembered the rocks" scene in the movie "Braveheart" (you'll know it when you see it).
Ok, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. Seriously:
An absolutely fascinating film (those who are partial to history and anthropology will especially enjoy this). An honest, un-PC look at the origins of the species and the development of humanity through loss, tragedy, hardship, hostile elements and the beginnings of laughter, morality, community service, leadership, friendship and of course, love. A wonderous feat of body language performances as there is no truly discernable language/dialogue spoken. This is a well done, well made film all around.
For those into scenery gazing the beauty of the locations (Canada, Iceland, Kenya, Scotland) alone make this worth buying.
Ron Perlman is one of the three male leads/would be prometheuses. Watch the body language! Wow, someone did research! A difficult and impressive (first movie) performance.
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Summary: Snoozfest for Fire
Review: A highly effective sleep-aid, guaranteed to induce involuntary drowsing with just the click of a "play" button. Plot synopsis: Grunt. Groan. Ooooh! (they find fire).
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Summary: Awesome music
Review: No one has mentioned the music by Philippe Sarde. When I saw this film for the first time, I went out in search of that haunting sound. Apparently Philippe employed four foot pan pipes (the ultra-low flute sound). A very "primitive" instrument from the Andes. It sends chills up your spine. Very effective for this incredibly abstract film.
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Summary: Good DVD - Daringly Bold Film
Review: I have to say, this has to be one of the all-time boldest ideas behind a film: to make a movie about prehistoric times, but do so anthropoligically as accurate as possible while still keeping the story entertaining. The courageous experiment is a success in my opinion. The effect is not only interesting it's believable. This is one possible past that might have been.
I really like this movie. I think that director Jean Jacques Arnnaud is a brilliantly innovative film director. He takes some big risks and the risks pay off most of all for movie-lovers everywhere: we get to see some very original and highly creative films that are as memorable as they are fun to watch. I think this director loves to play with unorthodox period styles. Whether as Neanderthal men in the Ice Age here or as Medieval monks in the 14th Century in his 1986 film "Name of the Rose", director Jean Jaques Annaud always keeps things unique.
This DVD is well-done. The picture looks great. The sound is in 5.1 surround and there's two wonderful commentary tracks to listen along to: one by director Annaud himself and another by three of the actors including Ron Pearlman and Rae Dawn Chong.
I give this DVD four stars. It's well worth the low price but isn't at all budget-quality. I'm glad I dished out the money and added it to my collection. It's a treat, and a rare one at that.
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Summary: Those Weren't the Good Old Days
Review: I like this movie. It's one of the easiest films to make fun of I've seen, and it has sure taken more than its share of hits from clever critics. It's basically about three Neanderthals (I think) who leave their tribe to find another source of fire, theirs having been doused. (No one knows how to start fire). They encounter cannibals, mammoths, sabretooths, a tribe further up the evolutionary ladder and some great scenery. They eventually discover how fire can be made, how to think a little better, and, in one of the major advances of civilization, the missionary position.
Dialogue is grunts and screeches and the make-up involves lots of hair. The actors do a first-rate job. Everett McGill is the leader of the bunch who has to puzzle things out as they go along. He's a curious actor. I don't think he's really that good an actor, but after seeing his completely different performances in The People Under the Stairs and The Straight Story, I'm not sure. Ron Perlman is teriffic as his hulking sidekick. Rae Dawn Chong, an actress I've always liked, plays a very human early human they meet along the way.
The DVD transfer is first rate. I'm usually indifferent to most extras, but there is an interesting interview with Annaud on the difficulties of putting this film together.
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