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The barely-there premise follows a couple of lazy hunter-gatherers (Jack Black and Michael Cera) who are
banished from their primitive village, for eating the "Forbidden Fruit" from the "Tree of Knowledge".
From
here, our hapless heroes set off on an epic journey
through the ancient world - and in the process, encounter (and
unknowingly becoming a part of) countless Biblical and historical
events. In a nutshell, Year One is another Epic Movie...
Or more accurately, Biblical Movie - except unlike those woeful Meet The Spartan
flicks - this puppy comes packed with a significantly larger budget, an
impressive celebrity ensemble cast and the seal of approval from Judd
Apatow.
The real question remains - is it funny? To be perfectly honest, I'm still not sure.
Director, Harold Ramis (best known for his classic roles in Stripes and Ghostbusters), seems
to have written a few notes on a napkin as to which Bible stories he
wishes to take aim at - and appears to have just let the actors improvise
the rest. It is this incredibly loose structure which both destroys the film... and saves it at the same time.
Michael Cera is the single most unique comedy star in the world right now. Fans of the Arrested Development, Clark and Michael and Superbad actor's awkward charm will love every single frame the lanky guy appears on.
The same goes for fans of Jack Black, David Cross and any number of the other comedians that pop up throughout.
They
all shine in their own way and most will love it - but only if you are
the type of comedy nerd that will trawl through hours of YouTube or FunnyOrDie footage just to catch a glimpse of them doing something unrestricted.
The only part of the film that starts to follow some resemblance of a script is towards the end - which, ironically - is when Year One starts to hit a pretty heavy flat spot.
Thankfully,
Oliver Platt saves most of the third act as the camp High Priest of the
Roman Empire (a character who I'm certain must be based on Foxtel Movie
Critic, Bill Collins). A special mention must also be made of the
smoking hot Olivia Wilde (who most will remember from The O.C.)... she is sizzling.
Year One
isn't a terrible film, not by a long shot, but it is a deceptively
enjoyable one simply because what is on screen is such an excitingly
rare, improvisational, cameo-based beast.
Take out the A-List
cast playing around without restraints... and what remains is a bunch
of very simple, "Exclusive Internet Content" with some average-at-best
gags about Biblical events. And you just know that the DVD release will
feature more extra uncut content than the movie itself.
Yes, Michael Cera is hilarious - but it's fair to say that his style isn't for everyone - and that is where Year One (for many) could fall totally flat. DVD Special Features
Year One was
always going to be a must have on DVD, just because you know the
deleted scenes and out-takes would go longer than the film itself. And
that's truth.
This puppy is jam packed and is well worth
checking out if you are a comedy fan. There is an Unrated Commentary
with Director Harold Ramis, Jack Black, and Michael Cera, as well as a
cool Alternate Ending (Sodom Destruction), Extended & Alternate
Scenes, Line-O-Rama, Gag Reel and a few "average" featurettes. Good fun.
Conclusion:
Movie 65% Extras: 80%
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