Movie #138 Year One *2009*

Jack Black - Zed
Michael Cera - Oh
Juno Temple - Eema
June Diane Raphael - Maya
Harold Ramis (Director)

I first saw this prehistoric film in a second run theater south of Chicago.  I was on a business trip and the days activities had been cut short so I did what I usually do and that is look for a theater that is playing something that I haven't seen.  Year One was on my list to watch mostly because of Michael Cera.  I am not a big Jack Black fan, but some of his more broad work is acceptable.  Year One is not one of those films.

Year one is the story of a couple of misfit cavemen.  They are kicked out of their tribe and forced to seek a life else where.  From this point on the films premise is "What would happen if these two were to come into contact with bible characters"?  How funny would it be if a caveman met Cane and Able?  How many laughs could you get out of a caveman interfering with Abraham and his sacrifice?  The answers are not very funny and not many laughs.

Normally I am down with spoofing the christian religion.  I remain unaffiliated and therefore can take pleasure in mocking, spoofing, poking fun at, and generally laughing at all the worlds religions.  I think where the movie went wrong is instead of taking the comedic rich material already printed in the bible, they added the caveman element wrecked the whole thing.

Jack Black is just not funny in this.  His shtick grows tired before he even gets out of the forest.  Michael Cera (my boy) manages to get a few laughs with his near perfect timing and "shoe gazing hipster of a caveman".  Even cavemen had to be teenagers at some point right?  There are a few good bits with some big name cameos.  Paul Rudd and David Cross play Cane and Able in a gag that made me laugh a little.  Hank Azaira is funny as Abraham (even though his part goes on for WAY too long).  I don't know what the heck Oliver Platt is doing in this film, other than not being funny.

The female roles in this movie have little to do, but the actresses who played them make the most of what they are given.  I thought both June Diane Raphael and Juno Temple were lovely and mildly funny.  As a whole the movie kinda stinks.  I watched it this time with the kids on a lazy Sunday afternoon.  There are worse ways to pass a rainy weekend.  The film is directed by Harold Ramis of Caddy Shack, Stripes and Ghost Busters fame.  He didn't live up to that collection with this film.

I give Year One ★★.  I have to steal a line from someone I read when this film came out.  Apparently comedy wasn't invented until year two. Check out the Trailer Park to see for yourself.