The Man Called Flintstone (1966)

Fred Flintstone, that lovable blue-collar caveman from Bedrock, becomes a spy in this feature length cartoon: Hanna Barbara's farewell to the six season television series. Begins with a fantastic mountainside car chase involving two goons and a suave James Bond-like spy, Rock Slag, who looks exactly like Fred. The chase results in Rock being injured: Cut to Fred and his marble-eyed sidekick Barney taking a failed shortcut home. They wind up at the hospital where Fred's given an assignment to replace his double: and the adventure begins.The Flintstones and Rubbles go on a European trip where Fred learns of a nefarious criminal, The Grey Goose, and his plot to blow up the world. Loads of fun action – mostly involving those two thugs attempting to kill Fred. But when various musical numbers are thrown in… the worst concerning the progression of children in the future that has nothing to do with the plot or characters… what begins as a clever spoof gets derailed.But the good stuff returns with a chase through an abandoned theme park: including a nod to Orson Welles's LADY FROM SHANGHAI fun house. What would have made a great hour-long two-part episode, sans the musical interludes, winds up a flawed Flintstone journey – yet even the bad parts are creatively bizarre... it was 1966, after all.For More Reviews: www.cultfilmfreaks.com

THE MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE was the first-ever animated theatrical feature based on the highly-successful television series THE FLINTSTONES which ended its run in 1966 after six seasons and an astounding 166 episodes when it aired on ABC-TV. The theatrical version came out five months after the television series ended. Today it is rarely seen in some markets,but it was a great follow-up to this TV show. In this version,Peebles and Bamm-Bamm along with Dino are not in this one. This version focuses on Fred Flintstone his wife Wilma,and their neighbors The Rubbles(Barney and Betty). In this version(which in the opening credits of the picture features Wilma Flintstone portraying the Columbia Pictures model is a riot)Fred Flintstone is mistaken for a American secret agent Rock Slag,who was wounded while chasing after international espionage spy Green Goose and his girlfriend,Tanya.Fred is asked to take Rock's place and fly to Rome(along with Barney and Betty and his wife Wilma of course,leaving the children behind with the babysitter along with the pet dinosaur Dino)to help corral and captured Green Goose once and for all. The whole thing turns out to be a trap for Fred and the real Rock Slag,who comes fully recovered to comes to Fred's rescue and saves the day.The theatrical version THE MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE,released by Columbia Pictures was released in theatres on August 3, 1966 and produced and directed by William Hanna and Joesph Barbera,who also served as executive producers with the script written by R.S. Allen and Harvey Bullock(based on a story by Harvey Bullock and R.S. Allen with additional story material by William Hanna,Joesph Barbera along with Warren Foster and Alex Lovy) and for this theatrical version,which is by the way was animated of course featured the voices of Alan Reed, Jean Vander Pyl, along with Mel Blanc and Gerry Johnson with additional voices by June Foray,Paul Frees,Janet Waldo,and Don Messick(in fact Janet Waldo,who was also the voice of Judy Jetson and Don Messick were regular voice-over stockplayers for a lot of animated shows and cartoons for Hanna-Barbera). With a Running Time of 87 minutes,it was shown as part of a kiddie matinée feature for Columbia Pictures. However,Columbia Pictures re-released this feature again in the 1970's and during the early 1980's as part of its family matinée series that was to be shown theatrically. After this,it was rarely shown on television in certain markets.

The 1994 big screen version of "The Flintstones" was undeniably atrocious, so if you want a decent "Flintstones" movie, then "The Man Called Flintstone" works (if only marginally). The plot has secret agent Rock Slang, who just happens to be Fred Flinstone's doppelganger, getting injured and replaced with Fred. This not only complicates Fred's vacation plans, but makes him the target of spies Ali and Bobo (fortunately for Fred, these guys are beyond incompetent). In the end, Fred's big mission is to stop master criminal Green Goose from destroying the world.Okay, so this movie won't challenge your mind or anything (and I guess that it does go overboard at times), but at least it's not a travesty of the show (I can't say the same for the 1994 movie). This one passes.

Since I was a mere tot of 3 when THE MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE was in theaters, I first discovered it when our local ABC TV affiliate showed it yearly on Thanksgiving morning. It became my fave thing about Turkey Day next to the Macy's parade, and when it became available on home video a few years ago, I found I still loved it! Lovable loudmouth Fred Flintstone is recruited by spymaster Chief Boulder to fill in for injured Fred lookalike Rock Slag, the James Bond of the Stone Age, to capture the megalomaniacal "Green Goose." Wacky hijinks ensue as Fred's chased all over "Eurock" by sinister yet bumbling henchmen and slinky glamour gals (the only people in the movie who wear shoes!) while trying to keep Wilma and the Rubbles in the dark about his new "Spy Type Guy" temp job. The spy spoofery ranges from grinworthy to hilarious, the songs are catchy, the voice work is delightful--what's not to like? Best of all for me, now that my toddler daughter has discovered...FLINTSTONE, I don't have to wait for Thanksgiving to watch it (and you know how often little kids watch their fave videos! ;-)!