Search - The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Adult Language, Adult Humor Movie Release: 2000 DVD Release: 09/26/2000 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 31 mins Studio: Universal Studios Total Copies: 2 Genres: Comedy, Slapstick, Family-Oriented Comedy See Also: Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas

Before the Flintstones were everyone's favorite Stone Age family, Fred was just a regular guy looking for the girl of his dreams, and his romance with Wilma sets the stage for this prequel to the 1994 screen adaptation of the popular cartoon series. Fred Flintstone (Mark Addy), a working-class caveman who earns his living at Mr. Slate's quarry, falls in love with wealthy heiress Wilma Slaghoople (Kristen Johnson). While many people think that Fred is out of his league, including Wilma's mother Pearl (Joan Collins) and her father Col. Slaghoople (Harvey Korman), he's determined to win her heart. And when his best friend Barney Rubble (Stephen Baldwin) decides to take his best girl Betty (Jane Krakowski) for a fun weekend in Rock Vegas, he invites Wilma to tag along. The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas recasts all the major roles from 1994's The Flintstones; Harvey Korman is the only actor to appear in both films, though in different roles (in the previous movie, he was the voice of the Dictabird). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Mark Addy - Fred Flintstone
Stephen Baldwin - Barney Rubble
Kristen Johnston - Wilma Slaghoople
Jane Krakowski - Betty O'Shale
Joan Collins - Pearl Slaghoople
Thomas Gibson - Chip Rockefeller

Director Brian Levant's second take on the Flintstones manages to be even more bright and colorful than his first, and though this Universal DVD release is hardly loaded, it does treat the film very well. The transfer is anamorphic, preserving the 1.85:1 aspect ratio of the original. The image quality is fine, from a pristine source print, and has accurate colors -- the film uses a lot of primary colors at its heart, surrounding those with interesting mixtures of earth tones and pastels, providing it with a striking look that is well preserved here. Compression artifacts are absent, as are signs of edge enhancement, and blacks are nice and solid. The soundtrack is available in DTS and Dolby Digital formats in English and in Dolby Digital in French. The English version features very nice separation and extremely clear dialogue, with the underscore mixed across the front soundstage. The various parts of the source music and song score, however, seem somewhat underpowered, which dilutes the amusement value of Ann-Margret singing "Viva Rock Vegas." The sound is clear overall, with good sound effects and surround usage and a clean bass channel (though this seems somewhat underused at times). The French track is likewise well done, with good voice casting and fairly accurate dubbing.
The extras on the disc are fairly limited -- there is a PC-friendly DVD-ROM section that provides some background, pictures, and so on, but this is quite insubstantial. Also included are cast and crew notes, movie recommendations (with trailers for Babe, The Flintstones, and The Little Rascals), production notes, and a fluffy "Spotlight on Location" segment. ~ Steven E. McDonald, All Movie Guide