Year One (Ramis, 2009)IMDB LinkJack Black, Michael Cera, David Cross, Hank Azaria, Paul Rudd, and others who I recognize but don’t know their name. How can you have so many comedy names and have the movie be so bad? Well, you can’t and it isn’t.
I went it expecting something really bad (given that bad comedies are being churned out every few minutes) because of the horrid reviews and ratings the film got, but I was pleasantly surprised. I did not wet my pants from laughter, but I was amused more than I expected, and so were my two friends.
So what is the exact mystery of the film getting such bad reviews? I admit that sometimes I have a different appreciation for comedies than other people. For example, I loved “Zoolander” a film that was critically anal raped. I admit that “Year One” falters, but there are some great scenes and lines. I loved how the film started from a caveman tribe and as the two characters (Jack Black & Michael Cera) moved away from the tribe, the era would seem to slowly advance, as the characters would meet Cain and Abel to Abraham to more advanced cities. It’s only a shame that this mysterious flow of time suddenly seemed to stop halfway through the film and settles on a more conventional plot (saving the damsels in distress).
Both Cera and Black play characters they have always played before. Jack is loud and obnoxious while Cera is timid and says his lines with his usual dry humor. I can understand how there will be people who would love seeing them play their usual roles while others will be sick and tired of their routine. I’m in both groups. That is, while I enjoy Cera doing what he does best, I am a little tired of Jack Black’s style. He needs to chill a bit.
Anyway, in a genre that has so much crap, “Year One” is above average, and for that alone, should probably be watched when a person is the mood for some harmless comedy.
“Oh: I just want to lay with her so badly.
Zed: I don't see it. I mean she's cute, but I don't think I'd lay with her.
Oh: She's your sister. I mean, it would be like laying with your mother.
Zed: Which was a *big* mistake, I see that now.”3/5
