| Viva Rock Vegas | |
| |
| Background information | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Dean Cudney |
| Produced by | Bruce Cohen |
| Written by | Screenplay: Deborah Kaplan Harry Elfont Jim Cash Jack Epps Jr. Characters and Series: William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Starring | Mark Addy Stephen Baldwin Kristen Johnston Jane Krakowski Joan Collins Harvey Korman Thomas Gibson Alan Cumming John Taylor Frank Welker (voice) |
| Music by | Jerry Goldsmith |
| Released | 28 April 1999 |
| featuring John Taylor | |
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas is a 1999 motion picture and prequel to the 1994 film based on the Hanna-Barbera animated television show, The Flintstones, produced by Amblin Entertainment, Hanna-Barbera Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film features John Taylor as Keith Richrock.
About the film
The film stars Mark Addy as Fred Flintstone, Stephen Baldwin as Barney Rubble, Kristen Johnston as Wilma Slaghoople, Jane Krakowski as Betty O'Shale, and Joan Collins as Wilma's mother Pearl Slaghoople. Ann-Margret, whose appearance as 'Ann-Margrock' is one of the most fondly-remembered moments in the original TV series, sings the theme song, which is a slightly-rewritten version of the theme song from Viva Las Vegas, in which Ann-Margret co-starred with Elvis Presley.
The plot involves Fred Flintstone (Mark Addy) and Barney Rubble (Baldwin) sharing a trailer while trying (unsuccessfully) to find girlfriends. They meet a little green alien called the Great Gazoo, who was exiled to Earth by his species in order to study the human mating and reproduction cycle (his own people reproduce asexually). Gazoo, whom only Fred and Barney can see, decides to follow Fred and Barney to gather information, even though his superior knowledge and personality annoys them.
Wilma, meanwhile, is living in a mansion with her wealthy parents. Her control-freak mother, Pearl, thinks that her daughter's wish to do common things such as bowling are silly and wants her to marry rich smooth casino-owner Chip Rockfeller. After a fight with her mother, Wilma angrily storms out of the house and goes to a Bronto Burger King in Bedrock, where she is waited on by Betty. Betty mistakenly thinks that Wilma is a "caveless" person and offers to share her apartment with her. Wilma is also given a job at the restaurant.
When Fred and Barney go to the restaurant for dinner, they are smitten with the girls and manage to talk them into going to a carnival with them. Fred goes with Betty and Barney goes with Wilma, but they later exchange girls. Wilma later takes Fred, Barney, and Betty to her father's birthday party, where Fred intends on proposing to Wilma. Once they get there, they are all shocked to find out that Wilma comes from a very wealthy family, when they all thought that she was poor, and Fred changes his mind about proposing to her after he meets Chip and realizes what he is up against.
Fred and Barney humiliate themselves and Wilma at the dinner, but Wilma tells everyone that she is proud to be friends with them and they walk out of the mansion. Chip, however, devises a plan to get Wilma back by inviting the foursome to stay at his resort in Rock Vegas, believing that Fred will become caught up in gambling and Wilma will leave him. The four of them enjoy the start of their trip. Chip gives them a huge comfortable suite at his resort, and access to the pool, and spa treatment for Wilma and Betty. Fred decides to start gambling, but never bets any high amount. Chip and his girlfriend Roxie are visited by two men who reveal that Chip owes their boss a lot of money. Chip tells them that he will soon be married to Wilma and will use her family's money to pay off his debt, and Gazoo witnesses the entire conversation. Chip then invites Fred to play poker with the high rollers, and make more money, but Barney tries to prevent Fred from agreeing. Chip then tells Barney about the All-You-Can Eat buffet, and gets Roxie to seduce him into escorting her there.
Fred gets caught up in gambling that he forgets that he and Barney were supposed to meet Wilma and Betty for dinner. While looking for Barney, Betty sees him wiping cream off of Roxie's chest and mistakenly believes he is touching her breast. She begins crying by a fountain and is approached by Mick Jagged, who is attracted to her. She tells him that her boyfriend was cheating on her and he comforts her, then invites her to go out on a date with him, which she accepts. Fred and Wilma get into an argument over Fred's obsession with gambling and Wilma breaks up with him. Chip then arranges to have Fred lose all of the money he won so he will be left with nothing. Wilma is walking around the resort and runs into Chip and she tells him about her breakup with Fred. He then tells her that there have been burglaries around the hotel and keeps her pearls in a safe. Fred, who has lost all his money, goes to Chip for help, and Chip puts Wilma's pearls in Fred's pocket. He then announces to the entire resort that someone has stolen the pearls, and tells Fred to empty his pockets, and shows all of the guests that Fred has the pearls. Security comes to arrest Fred and Barney as well when he tries to help Fred. Wilma and Chip get back together.
While in prison, Fred and Barney are visited by Gazoo, who tells them about Chip's plan to use Wilma's wealth to pay his debt. Then once they think that they can not stop him, they realize that Barney can slip through the bars and he steals the guard's keys and unlocks the cell. The two disguise themselves as dancers and accidentally run into Jagged's dressing room and see Betty. Barney tells Betty he loves her, and they get back together. Chip proposes to Wilma just as Jagged comes on stage to sing, but once he turns around, it is revealed to be Fred. He sings to Wilma, and she realizes that she still loves him. He comes off stage and confesses his love for her and proposes to her. She rejects Chip and agrees to marry Fred. Fred and Wilma get married in the Rock Vegas Chapel of Love. Mick Jagged sings "Viva Rock Vegas" at a party. Wilma throws back her bouquet of flowers and Betty catches it and looks at Barney with a smile on her face and they kiss.
Cast
- 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
- Alan Cumming - Gazoo and Mick Jagged
- Harvey Korman - Colonel Slaghoople
- Alex Meneses - Roxie
- John Taylor - Keith Richrock
- Tony Longo - Big Rocko
- Danny Woodburn - Little Rocko
- Taylor Negron - Gazaam & Gazing
- Jack McGee - Bronto Crane Examiner
- David Jean Thomas - Bronto Crane Examiner
Appearances
- Ann-Margret performed an altered version of Viva Las Vegas to fit the movie's time period for the soundtrack and use in the film. Ann-Margret not only appeared in the movie Viva Las Vegas, but in the Flintstones series as "Ann-Margrock".
- Harvey Korman, who was the original voice of the Great Gazoo in the television series, plays Colonel Slaghoople in this film, while Gazoo is now played by Alan Cumming (Korman was also the voice of the Dictabird in the first film).
- John Stephenson, who plays the minister who marries Fred and Wilma and voices the showroom announcer, was the voice of Mr. Slate on The Flintstones and later Count Rockula on The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone.
- Rosie O'Donnell, who played Betty in the first movie, does the voice of the Octopus giving Wilma and Betty massages.
- Show creators, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera make a cameo appearance at the end of the movie.
Reaction
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas received mostly negative reviews from critics at an average of 25% on Rotten Tomatoes , and was nominated for 4 Razzies at the 21st Golden Raspberry Awards, for Worst Picture, Worst Supporting Actor (Stephen Baldwin), Worst Supporting Actress (Joan Collins) and Worst Remake or Sequel, and it lost in all four categories. It was also a box office flop, grossing $35 million out of a $83 million budget, compared to the first film's $120 million gross. However, its reviews were slightly better than that of the first film (the first scored 18% positive on Rotten Tomatoes).
Trivia
- The Universal logo was transformed to spell 'Univershell', and the text made up of bones. The modern day continents that are usually seen in the logo, were removed and replaced with the supercontinent, Pangea being seen on the Earth's surface.