Back to the Beginning, Sort of

1/5

Jack Black and Michael Cera join forces in their most recent film, Year One. Together Zed (Black) and Oh (Cera) leave their village and set off to create a new tribe. Quite soon after leaving their village they discover that it was raided shortly after their departure and Zed, who is in love with Maya (June Diane Raphael), decides to attempt to free her. Along their journey they cross paths with many familiar biblical faces. Finally landing them in a Roman controlled Sodom...

Year One desperately tries to be something that it largely isn't, funny. I have loved Jack Black and Michael Cera in the overwhelming majority of their movies. Yet, in Year One the script is so focused on trying to push it's political and sexual jokes down your throat that it just ends up tasting like throw up. The movie is thick with very strong sexual innuendo. Being a mildly conservative person, I thought that maybe I was just being unfair to the movie because of my discomfort. So I tried listening to the rest of the theaters responses to the "jokes". Theirs wasn't much different from mine, more squirmy discomfort than laughter.

There was also the very brazen mockery of the early Jewish church. It was bold and in your face. Though some of the lines that were delivered were funny (Abraham's sudden decision to "cut off the tips of our penis") they were often carried too far, and ended up falling short of being humorous.

Every once and a while Jack Black would deliver a great line that was given in true "Jack Black" fashion, but overall it didn't seem like he could really help save this uninspired script. The lead writer, also the director, Harold Ramis has delivered many excellent scripts that were turned into witty and intelligent movies, it's a shame that none of his previous talent was on display here.

Pros:
Jack Black and Michael Cera are both very enjoyable at times and can deliver some wonderful lines.

Cons:
Extreme sexual innuendo that was not only uncomfortable, but also not funny. Lacked any real story arc, practically a bunch of short films and failed one liners.

Bottom Line:
I think that if I were to watch this movie again I would enjoy it more the second time, but I'm not sure that I am willing to give it that second chance. Laden with overt sexual innuendo and early Jewish church mockery, this movie has the opportunity with talent and a good story idea, but fails to deliver anything other than some mild chuckles.