This week we are taking a look at the comedy Year One (PG-13). Jack Black and Michael Cera star as ancient tribesmen who are kicked out of their tribe and end up going on an adventure. Harold Ramis directs.
Ryan: I didn't have high expectations for Year One but I did think that it could be a decent comedy. The idea of Jack Black and Michael Cera doing “their thing” in a pre-historic comedy had potential. But after only ten minutes the act began to wane and by the end of the film it had completely worn out. Simply stated Year One is a bad film. It’s not funny. It's not entertaining. In fact it has a couple of scenes that are just down right repulsive to watch. Maybe this idea would have worked as a ten-minute sketch on a comedy show. But as it is this ninety-seven minute comedy is excruciating to sit through.
Andy: There is really no way to sugar coat how bad this movie is. It never took strong hold of a story that anyone was likely to care about, and the characters come across as annoying before they ever even have a chance to be funny. You know going into a movie like this that there is going to be very little in the way of plot, but to fail on being funny as well is virtually unacceptable.
Ryan: Harold Ramis has directed, written or starred in some of the most memorable comedic classics of the past thirty years such as Animal House, Caddyshack, Vacation, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day. Needless to say Year One is at the opposite end of the spectrum from those above-mentioned movies. Arguably this is Ramis’ biggest cinematic failure. The movie is such a train wreck that it’s unfair to place all the blame on Ramis. But he is the director and the film has absolutely no cinematic vision or direction.
Andy: It is very disappointing to see talent of this level putting out such a questionable movie. Ramis has not been in peak form for a long time now, but I think most people who sit through Year One will be surprised at how inadequate an otherwise proven director can be. Simply put, the movie is a mess, and the director is the primary one to blame.
Ryan: I don’t believe that this movie will hurt the careers of Jack Black or Michael Cera but it’s certainly a hiccup in their respected resumes. Neither of them are in top form but it’s also clear from the material (or lack there of) that they had absolutely nothing to work with. If one is looking for a summer comedy I recommend going to watch The Hangover again and steering clear of the cinematic debacle that is Year One.
Andy: Remarkably, Year One has a fairly decent comedic cast. Black and Cera are usually fairly trustworthy, but here they are just not entertaining. The supporting cast never really gets it together, either. David Cross can be one of the funniest people around, but he wasn’t even close to it here. Oliver Platt does a decent job, but by the time he shows up, the movie is already way beyond saving.
Year One falls short in just about every imaginable way, earning it a D.
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Year One Not Worth the Time
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