Am a big fan of Charlie Chaplin, have been for over a decade now. Many films and shorts of his are very good to masterpiece, and like many others consider him a comedy genius and one of film's most important and influential directors.
Everybody has to have at least one misfire in their careers, even the best directors and actors have not so good films or films they regret. From his early still evolving period before he properly found his stride and fairly fresh from his vaudeville background, like 'His Favourite Pastime', 'A Busy Day' and 'The Property Man', 'His Prehistoric Past' shows that Chaplin is not immune from this. It is a lesser effort of his, and notable only really for being his last production for Keystone.
By all means 'His Prehistoric Past' has a few good points. While a little primitive and not exactly audacious, the production values are far from cheap.
There are also a few amusing moments, a little zest on occasions and Charlie does his best with the uninspired material he has and doesn't go through the motions like he did in 'A Busy Man'.
Where 'His Prehistoric Past' falls down is that mostly it's not particularly funny. The timing feels limp and there is very little, if any, freshness or originality. There is an over-reliance on slap-stick and it is very broad and very repetitive. There is not much charm here and there is not much to be emotionally invested by. The story is flimsy, so much so things feel over-stretched, there are not many Chaplin short films where a short length feels very dull but 'His Prehistoric Past' is one of them.
Charlie does his best certainly and looks engaged, but not much more than that due to his material being pretty uninspired. The cast are not much to write home about.
In conclusion, an early career misfire. 4/10 Bethany Cox
Everybody has to have at least one misfire in their careers, even the best directors and actors have not so good films or films they regret. From his early still evolving period before he properly found his stride and fairly fresh from his vaudeville background, like 'His Favourite Pastime', 'A Busy Day' and 'The Property Man', 'His Prehistoric Past' shows that Chaplin is not immune from this. It is a lesser effort of his, and notable only really for being his last production for Keystone.
By all means 'His Prehistoric Past' has a few good points. While a little primitive and not exactly audacious, the production values are far from cheap.
There are also a few amusing moments, a little zest on occasions and Charlie does his best with the uninspired material he has and doesn't go through the motions like he did in 'A Busy Man'.
Where 'His Prehistoric Past' falls down is that mostly it's not particularly funny. The timing feels limp and there is very little, if any, freshness or originality. There is an over-reliance on slap-stick and it is very broad and very repetitive. There is not much charm here and there is not much to be emotionally invested by. The story is flimsy, so much so things feel over-stretched, there are not many Chaplin short films where a short length feels very dull but 'His Prehistoric Past' is one of them.
Charlie does his best certainly and looks engaged, but not much more than that due to his material being pretty uninspired. The cast are not much to write home about.
In conclusion, an early career misfire. 4/10 Bethany Cox