Encino Man
Silly teen comedy has some Neanderthal behavior.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What 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.
Community Reviews
What's the Story?
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.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
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?
Movie Details
- In theaters: October 9, 1992
- On DVD or streaming: January 18, 2000
- Cast: Brendan Fraser, Pauly Shore, Sean Astin
- Director: Les Mayfield
- Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: High School
- Run time: 88 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: mild language and sensuality.
- Last updated: July 2, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
-
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Silly time-capsule comedy ideal for older tweens.
-
Never Been Kissed
Sweet, romantic story for teens has some edgy scenes.
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