Rental Recommendations: The Flintstones (1994)

 Hey everyone, how's it going? This week's Rental Recommendations is another short one. It's on the VHS release for the 1994 film The Flintstones. Let's get into it!

34 years after The Flintstones began its successful broadcast run, Fred, Barney, Wilma, Betty, Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm, and Dino return, and this time, they're not animated! Similar to how Dennis Mitchell was treated in last year's film, Dennis the Menace, the Flintstones and the Rubbles are played by live actors. John Goodman (Roseanne) plays Fred, Rick Moranis (Ghostbusters) plays Barney, Elizabeth Perkins (Big) plays Wilma, and Rosie O'Donnell (Sleepless in Seattle) plays Betty, with Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks) as the villainous Cliff Vandercave and Elizabeth Taylor (The Comedians) as Wilma's mother, Pearl Slaghoople. 

When Fred gets a promotion at the Rock Quarry, after cheating on an aptitude test, the Flintstones become rich. However Fred loses sight of what's really important, and ends up driving his friends and family away. Little does he know that Vandercave plots to make Fred his fall guy in a scheme that would see Slate & Co., the company Fred works for in the quarry get swindled out of Mr. Slate's fortune.

I recommend renting this fun, family adventure. It's full of fun and excitement, with lots of gags. Just like the original animated TV show was. John Goodman and Rick Moranis are great as Fred and Barney!

Back here in 2026, I grew up with this movie on VHS. My dad bought it, or it was bought for him as a birthday or Christmas present and I watched it all the time. Of course I'd watched reruns of the original series and loved it. I recall liking this movie better than the 1993 Dennis the Menace movie, because it's a more fun movie than that one is. I own it on VHS and on DVD in a two movie collector's edition set with its prequel from 2000, The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, which I've only seen once in comparison to the 1994 movie, and that was on TV in 2001 or 2002.

That's it for me for this week. I'll be back next week with a book review, a movie review, next weekend's Rental Recommendations, and possibly a discussion on the season premiere of Star Trek: Strange Worlds season 4. Until then I'll catch you on the flipside. Peace out!