Encino Man (PG)

Silly teen comedy has some Neanderthal behavior.

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Movie details

Studio: Walt Disney Home Video
Directed By: Les Mayfield
Cast: Sean Astin, Brendan Fraser, Pauly Shore
Running Time: 88 minutes
Release Date: 10/09/1992
Video/DVD Release Date: 01/18/2000
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG
MPAA Explanation: mild language and sensuality.

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that this silly teen sex comedy is heavy on objectifying girls' bodies, showing them in skimpy clothes and talking about girls' body parts. Characters also do some things that parents wouldn't want their kids to do: They lie to their parents, they use their friends to become more popular, they steal a car, they go to a bar, they break into school, and break into a house. There's also some swearing and comic violence.

Families can talk about the difficulty of navigating the social circles of high school. What do you do when you like someone who is in a different social circle than you? Does it make you feel worse about yourself? Does it make you want to do anything you can to prove to them that you're good enough? How do you handle the social rules of high school?

Message
Violence
Sex
Language

Message

Social Behavior:

Dave tries to use Link to become more popular and doesn't care about him. He also tries to abandon him. Matt breaks into the school and later breaks into Dave's house. Matt calls someone a "fag."

Consumerism:

Several products are mentioned or visible, including the TV show Jeopardy!, The Terminator, David Letterman, Milk Duds, SweetTarts, Icees, and Wonderbread. Stoney also uses the catch phrase, "Milk does a body good."

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Stoney drinks tequila and gets drunk. The gang goes to a bar even though they are underage.

Violence

Minor pratfalls and a punch. The guys watch professional wrestling and boxing on TV.

Sex

Some making out, butt-grabbing, and a lot of talk about almost grabbing girls' "gazongas." Plus one veiled masturbation joke and some girls in skimpy clothes.

Language

Some salty language, including "bulls--t," "piss," "dips--t," "hell," and several words for breasts, including "gazongas" and "honey cones." Matt calls someone a "fag."

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Heather Boerner

Willing to do anything to become popular and win back the affection of his grade-school crush, Robyn (Meagan Ward), bumbling high school senior Dave (Sean Astin), digs his own swimming pool for a prom-night party. When he discovers a hunk of ice containing a caveman, Dave uses it to advance his popularity. When the ice block thaws, out comes the totally buff and totally cave-rific Link (Brendan Fraser). Soon, Link is learning modern behavior from TV, and passing easily as a modern teenage boy; he's scruffy, he wears weird clothes, he grunts more than speaks, and all he can think about is the girl of his dreams. But once Link becomes more popular than him, can Dave handle it?

Is it any good?

Encino Man is a mostly harmless teen comedy that accurately reflects the struggles most teens have in high school. The film launched more roles for Fraser as a bumbling action-movie hero and he pulls off the role wonderfully. Between Fraser's innocent silliness and co-star Pauly Shore's Weasel schtick, the movie's good-hearted goofiness is infectious. There's some typical teen misbehavior, but no over-the-top sexual and gross-out situations. Just mindless, silly fun from the more comically innocent early '90s.