Encino Man

Play trailer

Encino Man

PG

1992

1h 29m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

17%

Tomatometer

36 Reviews

56%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

California teen Dave Morgan (Sean Astin) is digging a pit for a pool in his backyard when he happens upon a caveman frozen in a block of ice. Aided by his goofy friend Stoney (Pauly Shore), Dave transports their discovery to his garage, where the Neanderthal thaws and is revived. When Dave and Stoney find the living and thoroughly bewildered caveman, they attempt to pass him off as a foreign exchange student named Link (Brendan Fraser), resulting in many misadventures.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Encino Man isn't the first unabashedly silly comedy to embrace its stupidity and amass a cult following, but whether or not it works for you will largely be determined by your tolerance for Pauly Shore.

Read Critics Reviews

Hugo Davenport

Daily Telegraph (UK)

The warp factor of Shore's customized Californian dialect goes well beyond Wayne's World. In fact I found it as inscrutable as the reason why anyone at all should go see this movie, save for Brendan Fraser's lumbering enthusiasm as Link.

Jun 6, 2023

Full Review

Sheila Johnston

Independent (UK)

The film, school of Bob and Ted and Wayne and Garth, but inferior in all regards, illustrates the Theory of Reverse Evolution.

Nov 13, 2017

Full Review

Lawrence Cohn

Variety

Low-budget quickie is insulting even within its own no-effort parameters.

Apr 30, 2008

Full Review

Branyan Towe

Loud and Clear Reviews

The plot is nonsensical, with more telling the audience rather than showing, especially when it comes to the arcs of the characters. With that said, I had quite a bit of fun with this nonsense

Rated: 3/5

Jul 29, 2024

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...watchable yet somewhat disappointing...

Rated: 2.5/4

May 9, 2021

Full Review

Malcolm Johnson

Hartford Courant

The strongest contender imaginable for the worst picture of the summer.

Apr 10, 2018

Full Review

Read all reviews

thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/27/25

Full Review

Daniel M

It was a good throwback to watch this recently, it definitely brought back some nostalgic memories.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/17/25

Full Review

Michael D L

Not bad here and there some memorable moments

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/07/25

Full Review

Stephen C

Funny in 1 hour and 29 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $40,000,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/21/25

Full Review

Fawn J

This is one of those movies that take you back. It makes me laugh every time. You can actually see the genuine joy that Brendan Fraser had playing this role. Also, that cast is full of faces we all recognize in many other projects and films. As for Pauly Shore, people tend it hate on him, just to hate on him. It is all for fun and if you are not in for fun, don't watch this film. It is not for the serious.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/23/25

Full Review

David D

I thought this would be one of those so-bad-it's-good films. NOPE!! This film is so dull and lifeless. No funny lines, no good punchlines, just a caveman making a goofy face at something modern. On top of that, its so dated and bizzare and it just falls very flat. This is one of the worst pictures ive ever seen!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/18/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Les Mayfield

Director

Sean Astin

Dave

Brendan Fraser

Link

Pauly Shore

Stoney Brown

Megan Ward

Robyn Sweeney

Robin Tunney

Ella

A Pyromaniac's Love Story

0%

55%

A Pyromaniac's Love Story

Watchlist

In the Army Now

12%

44%

In the Army Now

Watchlist

Gone Fishin'

4%

37%

Gone Fishin'

Watchlist

Houseguest

18%

55%

Houseguest

Watchlist

Airborne

31%

60%

Airborne

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

California teen Dave Morgan (Sean Astin) is digging a pit for a pool in his backyard when he happens upon a caveman frozen in a block of ice. Aided by his goofy friend Stoney (Pauly Shore), Dave transports their discovery to his garage, where the Neanderthal thaws and is revived. When Dave and Stoney find the living and thoroughly bewildered caveman, they attempt to pass him off as a foreign exchange student named Link (Brendan Fraser), resulting in many misadventures.

Director: Les Mayfield
Producer: George Zaloom
Screenwriter: Shawn Schepps
Production Co: Hollywood Pictures, Encino Man Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 22, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.0M
Runtime: 1h 29m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

Most Popular at Home Now