Their home destroyed by a volcanic eruption, a tribe of dark-haired cave-people cross the land looking for somewhere safe to put down roots. Along the way, they meet a tribe of friendly blonde cave-people, who are happy to share their women. Not one to say 'No' to a hot blonde, Mak (Brian O'Shaughnessy),chief of the dark-haired people, sires two boys: blonde Toomak and dark-haired Rool. On the same day, another baby is born: a dumb girl who is almost sacrificed, but who is saved by the tribe's shamen (Rosalie Crutchley). Toomak and Rool grow up as rivals vying for their father's attention. When Mak is killed by a yak (or some such beast),it is the blonde son who is chosen as his successor, leaving the bitter Rool to try and seize leadership...

Rather than feature cavemen versus dinosaurs, as in One Million Years B.C. and When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth, this final prehistoric offering from Hammer takes a more realistic route -- if Julie Ege as a sexy cavewoman can be called realistic. Unfortunately, without the spectacle of an Allosaurus terrorising humans, or a bikini babe being carried off by a Pterodactyl, and with the dialogue between the cave-people consisting of lots of grunting, the film quickly becomes a bore.

To try and compensate for the plodding nature of his screenplay, director Don Chaffey loads his film with bums (from both sexes) and boobs, with Ege eventually making her entrance as Toomak's mate Nala, but even scantily clad cave-people cannot prevent Creatures the World Forgot from being a slog almost as arduous as that undertaken by Mak and his people. Not very exciting highlights include young Toomak catching a porcupine and a pig, a fight with a cave bear (played by a man in an unconvincing bear costume),a battle with some cannibals, and Ege being attacked by a big snake while Toomak and Rool fight to the death (although Rool is eventually stabbed by the dumb girl, his body falling off a cliff, looking all too much like an immobile shop dummy).

Oh well, at least the scenery is nice.

Disney fans N.B.: Mak presents the newborn Toomak to his tribe in a scene remarkably similar to that of Rafiki holding up Simba in The Lion King. Moreover, Nala is the name of both Toomak's woman and Simba's love interest. Coincidence? Who knows?

This film might not be for the squeamish. It is a view of the ancient world after the dinosaurs and before civilizations began, so you get to see the triumphs and tragedies and the survival of the fittest of prehistoric peoples. It is graphic and intense, showing how these people manage to survive against the odds whether dealing with enemies or natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions. The attempts to find food leaves nothing to the imagination as antelope become fair game for undeveloped humans who simply reach into their hives to pull out meat and the nutrients that somehow they can get from the blood. There's even a little bit of cannibalism as evidenced by a man wanting control and taking a huge bite out of his rival.

Then there are tribes separated by looks, with darker hair prehistoric men coming up against lighter haired tribes, looking on each other in both fear and awe, and you never know how they are going to react. Surprisingly, among this seemingly barbaric world, there are often compromises and silent treaties of peace, and the site of the different colored hair tribes examining each other is both profound and funny.

Then there are the different views of each of their artistic attempts, and live entertainment are being performed for amusement. It's amazing because it shows the advancements of society before civilization really began, yet there is an underlying sense that it could turn at any minute back to violence and carnage. Even with just grunts and screaming and a minimal music score, this will keep your attention. Probably one of the underrated science fiction gems of the 1970's, although I really can't say how fictional or scientific it is.

Two radically contrasting twin brothers fight over who's going to be the leader of their tribe of prehistoric cave people. Director Don Chaffey, working from a tight script by Michael Carreras, offers a compelling and convincing depiction of a brutal and dangerous world in which peril lurks around every corner, maintains a grimly serious tone throughout, and makes fine use of the desolate desert locations. Moreover, the cast manage to give their characters distinctive personalities despite only speaking through grunts and groans, with especially praiseworthy contributions from Tony Bonner and Robin John as the sparring siblings, Julie Ege as the feisty Nola, Rosalie Crutchley as a formidable old witch doctor type, and Marcia Fox as a persecuted mute. Kudos are also in order for Vincent G. Cox's often striking cinematography and Mario Nascimbene's throbbing tribal score. Better still, by firmly grounding the premise in a surprisingly plausible (albeit savage) primitive environment the filmmakers manage to give the central conflict between the two brothers a substantial amount of dramatic punch and weight. An effective and interesting film.