Tushar Auddy
Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan both won Oscars at the 95th Academy Awards, Fraser for Best Actor and Quan for Best Supporting Actor. Both of them have been remarkable in their recent films, but the two actors were part of a 1992 film, Encino Man, that barely left any mark in the minds of their audience.
The 1992 film starring Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan was a successful film that also happened to be the breakout film for The Mummy actor. It was a commercial success with a decent return despite the film being slammed by the critics.
Critics Slammed Encino Man Starring Brendan Fraser
The 1992 teen comedy film was well received by fans because of its lighthearted humor, funny premise, and entertaining performances. The film had a budget of only $7 million which grossed $40.7 million globally. However, the commercial success of the low-budget teen comedy film does not mean that the critics were on the same page with the audience.
Several critics around the world remarked on various aspects of the movie. However, the common reason that every critic pointed out was that the film was extremely shallow and lacked the essential features. In addition, the character of Brendan Fraser, was underdeveloped and poorly written, making the plot predictable.
Jeff Shannon of The Seattle Times believes that watching oral surgery would be more entertaining than the movie, and the people who have enjoyed the movie should be put in hell.
“I was hoping to miss the preview of Encino Man by scheduling some other, more entertaining diversion like, say, a few hours of unnecessary oral surgery. No such luck…There is a special annex of hell for movies like this, where sinners and simpletons are sent to atone for watching too much MTV.”
Johana Steinmetz of the Chicago Tribune remarked that Brendan Fraser’s role as a caveman adjusting to the modern world constantly shadow’s Dave’s story throughout the movie.
“A major problem is that “Encino Man” clings to a shopworn coming-of-age formula instead of taking advantage of the far more original idea that sets it in motion. Dave’s story is constantly overshadowed by the potentially much more entertaining spectacle of the caveboy’s adjustment to contemporary life.”
Encino Man is one of the lowest-rated movies ever created. Despite the movie having several catastrophic flaws, it was loved by the fans, becoming a cult classic and providing its audience with an entertaining time.
The Cast and Plot of Encino Man
Encino Man was directed by Les Mayfield, and the film had a star-studded cast where we would see Brendan Fraser in the role of Link, Sean Astin in the role of Dave Morgan, Pauly in the role of Stoney Brown, Megan Ward in the role of Robyn Sweeney, Robin Tunney in the role of Ella, and Ke Huy Quan in the role of Kim.
The plot of Encino Man revolved around two students who are in high school, and one day they discover a frozen caveman in their backyard. The high school students defrosted the caveman and named him Link. Dave Morgan and Stoney Brown decided to help the caveman adapt to the modern world. The teenagers took Link to their school where a lot of chaos took place, and made him the most popular guy there.
Encino Man can be streamed on Prime Video.
