Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
High school misfits Stoney and Dave discover a long-frozen primeval man buried in their backyard. But the thawed-out Link—as the boys have named him—quickly becomes a wild card in the teens' already zany Southern California lives. After a shave and some new clothes, Link's presence at school makes the daily drudgery a lot more interesting.
Encino Man is a lightweight early-90s fish-out-of-water comedy with a mildly fun premise — a thawed caveman navigating SoCal teen culture — but it's executed with little ambition. The plot is thin and formulaic, hinging on broad slapstick and predictable social-outsider beats. Acting is serviceable; Pauly Shore's 'Weasel' shtick is divisive and Brendan Fraser brings physical charm but limited depth. Cinematography is entirely functional, nothing distinctive. The caveman-in-modern-times concept gives it a slight novelty bump over a purely generic teen comedy, but it's not especially original either. The ending wraps up neatly and without surprise. A middle-of-the-road early 90s comedy that's fondly remembered more for nostalgia than genuine craft.