AllMovie

Pitched to the interests of teen girls, this simple-minded, semi-feminist tract is set in the dim reaches of a completely undefined prehistory. It tells the story of blond outcast Ayla (Daryl Hannah) who is adopted by the dark, hairy, and aptly-named members of the Cave Bear clan. When she grows up into adulthood her "blond ugliness" does not stop her from being raped by the Neanderthal clan leader. Left to her own devices, Ayla learns how to use weapons, and she is banished just for that fact. Big mistake. In the end, more is needed here than a pseudo, monosyllabic language to bring alive a prehistoric culture and to be convincing to viewers.