Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.5

The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 4, 2019

The Flintstones, Hanna-Barbera's iconic cartoon series that debuted in 1960, may be a classic on the small screen, but its live action big screen ventures are anything but. Universal's poorly received first film, which released to theaters in 1994 with a lot of hype and promise, failed to capture the spirit of the original animation, not to mention critic pens and audience hearts and funny bones. And that's with the inspired casting of John Goodman and Rick Moranis as the bumbling duo of Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. Fast forward more than half a decade, with the franchise's live action future seemingly on life support, and Universal's prequel release of The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas proved to be a "more of the same" flop that recast the entire picture and all but spelled the end of the franchise's big-screen hopes and dreams. It's a spectacle that's not spectacular, a film of big dreams and little to show for it.

On prehistoric Earth, Fred Flinstone (Mark Addy) and Barney Rubble (Stephen Baldwin) land jobs at a rock quarry owned by Slate & Company, which is a dream opportunity for most and a lifetime of basic occupational security. But not for Fred. He wants more, including a wife and a better life, but just as he is lamenting his place in the world, an out-of-this-world flying saucer crash-lands right in front of him. He and Barney meet an alien named The Great Gazoo (Alan Cumming) who has been sent to Earth to document humanity’s obsession with love, marriage, and reproduction. He is only visible to Fred and Barney and all but forces them to go find a mate. Meanwhile, a young lady named Wilma (Kristen Johnston), a broke and “careless” girl who claims she can’t even afford a basic lunch, meets a kindly waitress named Betty (Jane Krakowski), who takes Wilma under her wing. The two hit it off and quickly find themselves dating Fred and Barney. But when a dashing casino manager named Chip Rockefeller (Thomas Gibson) makes a move on Wilma and Fred falls under his trap to break his bank and his spirits, a battle erupts in Rock Vegas for the hearts and affections of the ladies Fred and Barney love.

Though it’s chronologically a prequel, Viva Rock Vegas is better described as a reboot. It’s been entirely recast but not exactly retooled, maintaining a fairly similar and familiar visual structure and special effects aesthetic as seen in the 1994 film. And like that film, it’s a fairly flat, lifeless, and listless experience with sporadic laughs and plenty of fall-flat humor (it only takes four minutes to find a dinosaur fart joke). The film finds little rhythm and less resonance, either dramatic or comedic. The cast struggles to do much more than impersonate the characters, and not even particularly well at that. Neither they nor the film ever quite seem to know what to do with them, or the movie’s tone. It fluctuates between zany humor and character drama, neither of which work independently and certainly not collectively. Director Brian Levant, who also helmed the first picture, obviously knows what he's doing, having previously directed superior fare like Beethoven and Jingle All the Way (not to mention inferior films like Problem Child 2 and Leave It to Beaver, on which he served as writer) but his style doesn't exactly mesh with the material. It might have been wise to put the project in other hands, because at its best Levant has crafted a merely passable time-killer that will only leave fans wanting to revisit the cartoons rather than more deeply explore his vision for the live-action adaptation.

The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas fares a little better than the typical Universal catalogue title. It's still nowhere near great but nowhere near abysmal. It appears to be sourced from a dated master, which is not in terrible shape but certainly shows room for improvement. Spots and speckles are commonplace but do not appear to excess. The image suffers from no significant DNR; there's perhaps a little in play but it's certainly not Tremors. The image maintains a modest grain structure. Details are fairly sharp and well defined. Skin details in close-up show sufficient depth to pores and hairs. The film's various practical effects and locations reveal the rubbery textures with adequate command, but missing from these, and various examples of costumes, are the razor-sharpness that the film is begging to find. The image is clear but not presented to exacting specifications. Optical shots are unsurprisingly softer and fuzzier. Colors are fair, with good punch to the bolder clothing and hair and casino hues that stand out against the predominantly earthy backdrops. There is a push to warmth, nowhere more obvious than in the scene when Betty meets Wilma at the fast food restaurant. The image is certainly adequate on the whole, bordering on pleasing at points. It never drops below that threshold, but it's easy to envision a superior presentation (even if it's obvious the film isn't worth the time, money, and effort required for a remaster). This is probably the best the film is going to look for home consumption for a long, long time.

The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is crude, but effective, and sonically similar to so many other tracks of its era, favoring activity over finesse. Indeed, though it lacks in detail and nuance it is never wanting for full stage engagement when the situation calls for it, such as when the UFO crashes in chapter two with a heavyset but enjoyable rush through the stage (with similarly movement-heavy effects appearing sporadically for the duration). The track springs to life with frequency, though it is sometimes a bit more front heavy than is ideal. Location din at several key points through the film, including the Slate & Company worksite and a drive-in diner, do well to draw the listener into the various effects that shape them, a crude but effective blend of familiar elements and creative uses of ancient technology and now extinct creatures. When the action shifts to Rock Vegas in the second half, listeners will find stable, pleasing din inside the casino, including various gaming tables and "machines" and the boisterous "security system" that belts out a warning from all corners of the stage. Music is appropriately wide with modest surround integration and a hint of low end support to round it into form. It could stand a bit more precision. Dialogue is sufficiently clear and well prioritized as it flows from a natural center channel home.

The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas contains on extra titled Spotlight on Location (1080i, 15:41), a needlessly long piece that recaps the plot, looks at the film's place in franchise history, reveals the cast and characters, unveils the film's tone and humor, explores props and set decorations, and so on. This piece is only accessible in-film via the pop-up menu. No top menu screen is available. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Flintstones appeared on the big screen prior to either of these live action films in 1987 in the agreeable animated picture The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones, a far superior experience to this film (and its predecessor). The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas is a sour note experience with sporadic laughs, a dull story, and uninspired casting and performances. The world of Bedrock doesn't translate particularly well to live action, though one shudders to think of what it might look like now, in the digital age (though perhaps The Jetsons would be a more appropriate venture for today's CGI technology). Universal's Blu-ray suffices, offering mostly agreeable picture quality, a 5.1 lossless soundtrack that suits the film's sonic styling, and one measly extra. Skip it.