The Clan of the Cave Bear

Rating:
Summary: horrible, horrible movie
Review: I loved reading all the books, but this is a wretched movie. Even Darryl Hannah (who did a real decent job) could not save it. The soundtrack is really terrible. The acting was spotty. The makeup was absurb. The special effects were amateurish. The camera work was sloppy. I really wanted to like this movie, but it was impossible. Not even worth renting, IMHO.

Rating:
Summary: They tried but failed
Review: I loved the book this movie is based on. I thought it fit pretty well with the story. However, a couple major aspects made it painful to watch. The movie attempted realism but completely disregarded major things.

All the women had shiny and freshly shaved legs. This was a large distraction from the period the directors were trying to create.

Also, there was too much of a sense of the 20th century. The characters movement was at times very modern as was the quality of speech.

The directors could have done a much better job with the period.

Rating:
Summary: very disappointing
Review: I loved the book, and know it cover to cover because I've read it so many times. I saw this movie and I just had to rent it. I thought it would be interesting to see how someone else saw it. I was severely disappointed. They didn't do a very good job at all. It still made me cry, but I would never, ever rent again. If you intend to make the other movies, invest in it more. Pay attention to the book. Perhaps read it first. There is so many mistakes, and scenes put together it just wasn't worth the $.47 I paid to watch it.

Rating:
Summary: As an Auel Fan, and a very picky person, I love this movie.
Review: I read the whole series long before I saw the movie, and as a person who frequently reads before she sees any movie editions, I can be disappointed at times, and not for nitpicking reasons.

However, this time I was not only plesantly surprised, I was blessed with this movie. I happen to think that many film adaptations of books are not very well done because of how much has to be cut out, rewritten, etc, for the sake of a movie.

This one, however, was wonderful. Yes, some things were changed, but the book managed to keep Auel's talents alive within the film. I loved the genuine-feeling prehistoric atmosphere the movie portrayed, and the sign language mixed with the type of verbal words that would be typical of the Clan as described by Auel--it's excellent. There was not even a large need for subtitles, the body language says it all. Unlike Splash, Daryl Hannah did a superb job with this movie. I would reccomend it to anyone unless they feel like doing the old nitpick. If you do, this movie's not for you.

Rating:
Summary: Follows the book well.
Review: I really liked the book by Jean Auel so I decided to rent the movie (then buy it).

The movie follows the book pretty closely (a few mistakes but nothing major). The characters were cast well, especially Creb and Ayla.

There isn't any extras, but if you are a fan I recommend this DVD highly.

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie - Great Book
Review: I saw the movie on a rented VHS and liked it a lot, so I bought the book. Both are excellent. When I got a DVD player, I decided to buy it on DVD. The DVD disc has normal format on one side and wide screen format on the other, which is a nice feature. If you like the book, I don't see why you would not like the movie, and vice versa. There are very few differences in the story and the characters are brought to life in the movie very much as I would expect them to be. The glacial and forest scenes are spectacular. The only complaint I had is that some of the scenes of the cave interior by firelight are very dark, especially when the disc is played on a computer.

Rating:
Summary: I wasn't impressed.
Review: I seem to be one of few dissenters, but watching the film adaptation of The Clan of the Cave Bear shortly after reading the book makes me appreciate Jean Auel's detailed writing and keen humanistic approach to the Neanderthals and the Cro-Magnon girl, Ayla, even more. This film lacks the tenderness and true compassion that members of the Clan show Ayla in the book. The Clan's form of communication, hand gestures and occasional muted sounds, do not translate well onto celluloid. Also, where are the emotion, love, and connection that Iza, Creb, and Uba have for Ayla in the novel? Where are the amazement and incredulity over Ayla's hunting skill and lucky masculine totem, the Cave Lion? Where are Ayla's feats of bravery other than attending to a wounded man at the Ceremony of the Bear?

I am also annoyed over major changes in the plot: The birth of Ayla's son is completely changed; Ayla's skills as a medicine woman are downplayed; the events of the Clan gathering and the ending are altered. Furthermore, if I had not read the book upon viewing this film, I think I would have been confused as to who the characters are and their importance in Ayla's life.

I am very disappointed by the lacking script, but I am probably even more dismayed by the less than dazzling scenery--it is nowhere near as resplendent as Auel describes with her words. My boyfriend and I were joking that it looked like the producers chose to film the movie in suburban Massachusetts or a Hollywood backlot, not in frigid northern Europe.

All in all, I do not suggest this film, but I do suggest Jean Auel's novel, The Clan of the Cave Bear.

Rating:
Summary: Clan of theCave Bear
Review: I think this movie was ok, nothing great though. It started out good, explained the background of the story, and pretty much followed the book.
However the more it went on, the farther from the book it got, and at very key parts, it was totally changed.
The book is excellent, the movie is the complete opposite.

Rating:
Summary: Loved the Movie, until I read the book....
Review: I was in my late teens when this movie came out and I saw it on cable. When I first saw it, I absolutely loved it! The costumes, cinematography, and music created a very realistic primitive atmosphere with depth. I thought it was great, and when I saw that it was based on the book Clan of The Cave Bear by Jean M Auel, I ran out a got the book.

I read the entire book in less then two days straight (I couldn't put it down!) The book is the best. Such imaginative creative deep writing! That's when I realized that the movie sucked. The movie totally butchers the story in the book, and does not even capture a little of the essence and plight of Ayla and the Clan.

Compared to the book, the movie is the worst movie in the history of the world. Seriously. Now if you look at the movie separate from the book, then I think it is pretty good. I can appreciate it for all the things I liked about it in the first place. If you are a fan of the Earth Children series by Jean M. Auel, and are hoping for a even miniscule well done rendering of the book, then pass this by. But if you want to just enjoy a unique film that explores the primitive ancestors of man, then check it out. Separate from the book, it is pretty good (not great).

Even though it totally butchers the book, I still can enjoy the movie for itself. I suggest renting before you buy, depending on what you are looking to get out of the movie.

Rating:
Summary: Poor excuse
Review: I would say this movie made an honest effort on trying to make a movie adaption of this classic book. However, it falls far short of doing the book any justice. About half of the book is cut out of this screenplay and it loses almost all of the atmosphere that the book created. All that is left is a hour and half movie that tries to make up for a lack of script and life.