The Brenaissance lives on! The leading cast of 1992's Encino Man -- Sean Astin, Pauly Shore, and Brendan Fraser -- are on board for Encino Man 2 and have been looking to get one started for a few years. From director Les Mayfield of Flubber and Blue Streak and writers Shawn Schepps and George Zaloom, Encino Man was the charming story of a caveman come to life in the modern-day. The movie quickly became famous for its stoney jokes, righteous language, and heartwarming performance from Brendan Fraser as the titular caveman Link. It cannot be overstated how heartfelt Fraser's performance is in this otherwise whimsical film.
Discussions for an Encino Man sequel to the throwback are now happening at Disney+, the perfect platform for this movie. Fans everywhere must show their support for this endeavor. Not only because we want to see these stars come together again. Not only because we want to continue reveling in the glory of the Brenaisssance. But because Encino Man is a blast from many of our pasts and fans have long desired a continuation.
The Adventures of Brendan Fraser's Link
The movie opens with a caveman and his cavewoman, who are desperately trying to build a fire and warm themselves in the bitter cold and fierce winds after taking shelter in a cave. Unfortunately, an earthquake brings the cave tumbling down and separates the couple, whose screams we here as they are buried in dirt, rock, and snow. This opening scene is juxtaposed with an Encino, California, teen in the '90s named Dave (played by Sean Astin), who wakes up to your average, modern-day California earthquake.
Dave's story is that he is determined to dig himself his very own pool over the summer. His goal is that Robin (Megan Ward), the "it girl" at the school and presumed prom queen, will be convinced to take Dave to the prom and be his girlfriend. Dave believes that if he can build this pool, she will be his, and he will no longer be widely considered a crusty dude by his peers.
As Dave's best friend, Stoney Brown (Pauly Shore), another crusty, stoney dude with a mop on top, tries to talk some sense into his friend. He insists that Robin is already dating the prom king, who has his own personal holding company full of fundage, but Dave continues to dig. Despite their science teacher's well-timed warnings that any rumors about prehistoric glaciers buried in the area are lame, Dave first finds in his backyard a Mousterian-era bowl, which is like prehistoric Tupperware. Next, he finds a huge glacier with a man frozen inside.
After freaking out, the duo enlists the help of typically incompetent '90s parents with no luck. They then decide that the discovery might bring them all the fame and fortune they can handle. Together, Dave and Stoney exhume and gradually melt the glacier to access the contents. Much to their surprise, when they return from school in the afternoon, they find that the caveman inside, played by Brendan Fraser, has come back to life.
The caveman named Linkavitch Chomofsky, or Link for short, has hilarious solo adventures, including discovering MTV and building a fire in the bathroom. Even more impossibly, with an epic bath, a little makeover, and some social coaching from Dave and Stoney, the newly christened Link inadvertently finds himself turning into a man about town. He makes many new friends and makes a total scene everywhere he goes.
Continuing the Story of Encino Man
Brendan Fraser's charming performance as the sweet and naive caveman in a fast-paced modern world made this movie a classic. And while Link might be popular as heck, he is just mourning the loss of his spouse millions of years ago and is adorably reunited with her at the end of the movie. Ultimately, Fraser's committed acting job in this unlikely hit made it as enjoyable as it continues to be decades later.
With Sean Astin as the straight man and Pauly Shore as Pauly Shore to complete the trio, Encino Man is just a great movie, with so much potential for a sequel. Perhaps an old prehistoric enemy is exhumed, or we get to see more of his adventures adapting to the modern world. It is important to recognize that Encino Man 2 isn't just about making more Brendan Fraser content, which we are all clamoring for. It isn't just about trying to heal from the brutal Sean Astin kill in Stranger Things season 2, which we still aren't over.
Encino Man is an adorable movie, and as much as it contains a prehistoric time capsule for audiences. It lives on as a '90s nostalgic flick with plenty of relevancy for modern times. We hope the team sets the sequel in motion soon, and we can see Link, Dave, and Stoney throw down again!