The Stone Age (1940) Review: A Zany Blast from the Prehistoric Past!

Alright, so we're talking about The Stone Age from 1940. This isn't a long film, obviously, it’s a classic Tex Avery cartoon. If you’re a fan of old-school animation, or just curious how things looked before Bugs Bunny got really famous, this is totally worth a few minutes of your time. Animation students or anyone into the history of comedy will get a kick out of it. If you need super crisp, modern animation or a deep story, you’ll probably find it pretty dated and maybe even a bit chaotic for no clear reason. But that’s kind of the point, isn't it?

The setup is simple enough: a caveman and a dinosaur, both trying their darndest to win over this one cavewoman. It’s a love triangle, prehistoric style. You can see Avery’s early genius starting to really bubble up here.

The whole thing is just a barrage of quick, often absurd gags. One moment, the dinosaur is trying to impress the cavewoman by literally moving a mountain – and it actually does! The next, the caveman is trying some sneaky trick with a club. It’s all very fast. The pacing is almost frantic sometimes, like Avery was trying to cram as many jokes as possible into seven minutes.

There’s this particular bit where the caveman gives the cavewoman a flower, and the dinosaur immediately tries to top it by giving her an entire forest. The sheer *over-the-topness* of it all is what makes it work, even now. It’s not subtle, not at all.

You can really feel the era in the animation style. It’s not as fluid as later cartoons, but it has this raw energy. The characters stretch and squash in ways that still feel vibrant. The sound effects are classic old-timey boings and zips, which are just _perfect_ for the visual gags.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Stone Age (1931) through its definitive frames.

One specific thing I kept noticing was the cavewoman’s reactions. She’s not just a prop; she’s got this great, expressive face. When she bats her eyelashes, both the caveman and the dino practically melt into puddles. It’s a recurring bit that never really gets old.

The dinosaur character is especially memorable. His goofy grin and his attempts to be suave are just hilarious. He’s clumsy but thinks he’s smooth. The way his eyes dart around when he's trying to impress her – it’s a small detail, but it makes him feel more alive.

It’s not a film that tries to make you think deeply. It’s pure, unadulterated cartoon slapstick. Some of the gags probably landed with a bigger punch back in 1940, sure. But there’s a timeless quality to physical comedy done this well. It’s a foundational piece for how cartoons would develop.

The ending is a bit of a surprise, honestly. It doesn’t wrap up neatly, which is _so_ Avery. It just kinda… ends, with a final, silly flourish. No big moral lesson, just a laugh and then it’s over. Like someone hit the off switch right after the punchline. You just gotta appreciate that.

If you have a spare seven minutes and wanna see where a lot of modern cartoon chaos got its start, give this a whirl. It's a short, wild, and kinda important piece of animation history. ✨

Quick Cave-notes 📝

• That dinosaur's laugh is pretty infectious, honestly. Kind of a low rumble that feels very him.
• The cavewoman's hair changes color sometimes, blink and you miss it! Or maybe it’s just the light. 🤔
• So many rocks just *exploding* for no real reason. Avery loved his explosions, didn’t he?
• The way the caveman keeps getting outsmarted, it's almost sad. Almost.
• Did you catch the really quick bit where the caveman uses a bird as an alarm clock? ⏰