Overview
See production notesIn 2 million BC, during the Neo-Pleistocene era, an asteroid collides with Earth "near Manchester", causing the extinction of the planet's dinosaurs, but sparing a tribe of cavemen living near the impact site. Finding a roughly spherical chunk of the asteroid, the cavemen begin to kick it around because it is too hot to hold and accidentally invent the game of football. "Several eras" later during the Stone Age, the impact site has become a lush valley, inhabited by a tribe of cavemen, including Dug and his pet wild boar Hognob. One day, Dug suggests to Chief Bobnar that they should try hunting mammoths instead of rabbits as they always do, but Bobnar brushes him off, insisting the uncoordinated tribe would be unable to catch mammoths. An army led by Lord Nooth, a Bronze Age governor, drives the tribe out of the valley and into the surrounding volcanic badlands. Dug tries to attack them, but falls into a cart and is unknowingly taken to the Bronze Age city. There, he is mistaken for a footballer. To escape, he challenges Nooth's elite local team to a match with the valley at stake and promises that the tribe will work in Nooth's mines forever if they lose. Nooth accepts, knowing that he can profit from the match. Dug discovers that although his ancestors played football, the other members of his tribe are too dim to understand it. They get chased by a giant duck that destroys their only ball. Later that night, Dug and Hognob sneak into the Bronze Age city to steal more balls, but are found out by a female vendor named Goona, who goes to the empty stadium to practise in secret. Resentful over the team's exclusion of women, she helps them steal some balls and agrees to coach the cavemen. Goona points out that the footballers on Nooth's team are talented but too egotistical to work together effectively. The cavemen improve in skill and teamwork under her coaching. Queen Oofeefa sends a message bird informing Nooth of the consequences should the cave team win. To demoralise Dug, Nooth has him brought to the mines and shows him cave paintings made by his tribe's ancestors who, although they had invented the game and taught other tribes to play it, they never won a single match to other tribes and eventually gave up football. On the day of the match with Oofeefa in attendance, Dug announces his forfeiture as part of the deal which spares the rest of the tribe and agrees to take their place in the mines alone. However, his reinvigorated teammates arrive on the now tamed giant duck to play the match. The cavemen score an early goal, but the local team soon takes a 3-1 lead. When the cavemen manage to tie the match Nooth incapacitates the referee and takes his place, making biased calls in favour of the local team that leads to Bobnar (who was serving as the goalkeeper) being knocked out. Hognob takes his place before blocking a penalty kick, and Dug scores using a bicycle kick to win the match for the cavemen, and they win their valley back with the respect of Oofeefa, the local team, and the crowd. Nooth tries to escape and steal the crowd's admission money, but is arrested for his crimes while everyone gets their money back. Sometime later, Goona and Nooth's elite team join Dug's tribe for a hunt, but they are frightened off by the rabbit pretending to be a woolly mammoth.
Plot from Early Man (film)CC BY-SA 4.0
- Countries
- United Kingdom, France, United States
- Original language
- English
Gallery
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Quotes
See all quotesChief Bobnar: Right, gather 'round, grab a spear. Treebor: [grabs a spear] Oh, it's pointy. Magma: Oh, Treebor, just get over there. Treebor: Oh, Mum... Dug: Morning, Barry. Barry: Morning, Dug. Dug: Mr. Rock coming hunting today? Barry: Oh yeah. Wouldn't miss it for the world. Chief Bobnar: Morning, Asbo. Change your underpants today? Asbo: Yep. Changed them with Thongo, Chief. Champion! Chief Bobnar: Yes, Gravelle? Gravelle: When I put my arm up, it hurts. Chief Bobnar: Well, don't do it, then. [notices Grubup biting Eemak's leg] Grubup, don't eat that. That's Eemak. Grubup: Yum. [chuckles] Chief Bobnar: Exactly. Uh, right. Dug: Heads down, everyone. Chief Bobnar: Thank you, Dug. Barry: [shoulder-bumps Mr. Rock] Shh! Chief Bobnar: [clears throat] We give thanks for our valley, our home, this precious ground which sustains us and gives us shelter from the Badlands. [Dug breathes deeply] May we live in peace, balance, and harmony with our forest and all the creatures we share it with.
Early Man (film), CC BY-SA 4.0
Chief Bobnar: Dug, it's time to give up this football lark for their sake. They're just not capable of it. Dug: Don't you miss the valley, Chief? Chief Bobnar: The valley's gone now. And we're better off here in the Badlands than slaving down some mine. I mean, there's the odd giant duck around, but at least we're still together. We're still a tribe. Dug: But our ancestors played football. We know they did. I still believe we can do this. Chief Bobnar: With what? You haven't even got a ball to play with! [walks away] It's over. Dug: No. There is still time. [to Hognob] C'mon, Hognob.
Early Man (film), CC BY-SA 4.0
Goona: Hey! Don't touch the bronze. Dug: What? Goona: The bronze! Where have you been, the Stone Age? Dug: Uh... Goona: What?
Early Man (film), CC BY-SA 4.0
Lord Nooth: Alright. Secure the valley. Start mining ore. Dino: Or what, Lord Nooth? Lord Nooth: Ore, you fool. Start mining the ore. The metal that's in the ground. Dino: Oh, the ore... in the ground! Yes... [laughs] What about the primitives? Lord Nooth: [scoffs] Let them rot in the Badlands. They're low-achievers of history with their puny flints and drafty caves. Dug: [angrily but quietly] You've picked the wrong tribe to mess with. [grabs a stone axe and charges at Lord Nooth] Lord Nooth: "Oh, I'm so scared. You are waving your stones about." [Dug war-cries as he jumps at Lord Nooth] The Age of Stone is over, Dino. Long live the Age of Bronze. [bronze ball knocks Dug unconscious] Okay, let's get moving. Bronzetrooper: Of course, Lord Nooth. Lord Nooth: I'm late for my massage.
Early Man (film), CC BY-SA 4.0
Dug: We challenge the champions! Lord Nooth: What did you say? Dino: He said "We chall--" [interrupted by Lord Nooth] Lord Nooth: Yeah, I heard what he said. Dug: If we win, we keep our valley! You leave my tribe in peace! Lord Nooth: You think you can beat us at football? [after Dug nods, he laughs and the crowd joins in laughter] A match between the Bronze and the brutes? What an idea! Dino: Sacrilege, o premier leader. Lord Nooth: Yes, quite. Dino: The masses would flock to see such a vulgar spectacle. Pah! Lord Nooth: Hmm... [looks over the Schnookels] Really? For the valley, you say?
Early Man (film), CC BY-SA 4.0
Dug: [looks around the mine] Wha... Wha...? More cave paintings. Lord Nooth: Yes. Only these ones tell the whole story. You see, your ancestors did not just play football. They invented the game. You even taught other tribes how to play. But you had one problem: no matter how hard you try, you just always ended up losing. Match after match, game after game. [Dug sighs in disbelief] In fact, after many many moons... [cave painting of cavemen showing their butts can be seen] ...you just gave up altogether. It was all too painful for you. It turns out your tribe were totally crap at football. You're losers, caveman. Always have been, Always will be. Dug: No. No, it-it can be true! Lord Nooth: Do you really believe you can beat us tomorrow? Face it, caveman. You and your tribe, you just don't have it in you. But I am willing to offer you a deal. A way out. [the scene goes to Hognob finding tracks leading to the valley, then cuts back to the mine] Think it over, caveman, because the mine is
Early Man (film), CC BY-SA 4.0
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