Might not be Jack Black's best film, but it's definitely his worst!
Year One (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:149
Fresh:23
Rotten:126
Average Rating:3.9/10
Consensus: Year One is a poorly executed, slapdash comedy in which the talent both in front of and behind the camera never seem to be on the same page.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Jun 18, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $43,337,279
Synopsis: When a couple of lazy hunter-gatherers (Jack Black and Michael Cera) are banished from their primitive village, they set off on an epic journey through the ancient world in Columbia Pictures'... When a couple of lazy hunter-gatherers (Jack Black and Michael Cera) are banished from their primitive village, they set off on an epic journey through the ancient world in Columbia Pictures' comedy Year One. Harold Ramis directs. The screenplay is by Harold Ramis & Gene Stupnitsky & Lee Eisenberg (The Office) from a story by Harold Ramis. The film is produced by Harold Ramis, Judd Apatow, and Clayton Townsend. --© Sony Pictures [More]
Starring: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Oliver Platt, David Cross
Starring: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Oliver Platt, David Cross, Hank Azaria, Paul Rudd
Director: Harold Ramis
Director: Harold Ramis
Screenwriter: Harold Ramis, Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg
Story: Harold Ramis
Producer: Judd Apatow, Harold Ramis, Clayton Townshend
Composer: Theodore Shapiro
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Reviews for Year One
Pointless and droll? Definitely, but 'Year One' still has its moments.
Year One contains a few jokes that work but what is really bothersome is that Cera and Black play the exact same roles they always play.
Ramis aims for a satirical Old Testament spoof akin to Monty Pythons Life of Brian, but the one-liners and grossout jokes are cribbed from the Gospel According to Mel Brooks.
It is so bad, in fact, that not only do I feel as though I have sullied the fine reputation of "Life of Brian" by mentioning it in the same paragraph, I fear I may have also sullied the reputation of "Wholly Moses" as well.
A weak comedy that overly relies on jokes from the Unholy Trinity of P - Penises, Poop and Pee Pee.
Rarely in the history of cinema have so many genuinely funny people come together to make a film that is so painfully unfunny to watch.
The people who made Year One seem to think that all you have to do to make a hit comedy is get a bunch of jokesters together. But where are the jokes?
[The writers] appear to subscribe to the 'if it sort of works once, let's beat the audience over the head with it until we've driven the life out of the joke' philosophy.
Devoid of any energy or enthusiasm either in front of or behind the camera.
You heard it here first: Year One is the best prehistoric comedy of 2009.
If you haven't found yourself laughing during any of the commercials on television, then I assure you not a whole lot will change if you decide to swap your couch or recliner for a theater seat.
Harold Ramis' comedy is more evolved than the trailers let on, but after a solid hit to the popcorn audience's vestigial funny bone, the humor retreats into a lazy, generic swamp.
Year One is nowhere near as funny as the ancient-civilization movies I saw in high school: Life of Brian, History of the World Part I, Caligula. Its script isn't worth the papyrus it's inscribed on.
There is plenty of lowbrow, knuckle-dragging humor; coupled with all the gay jokes, poop jokes, Jewish jokes and you're-stupider-than-I-am jokes, the arrested-development crowd will no doubt be thoroughly entertained.
Black, who has been hilarious elsewhere, is working so hard to be funny that it’s exhausting.
An inexplicably unfunny comedy made by two people who have proven they can do much better: director/co-writer Harold Ramis and co-producer Judd Apatow.
It ambles along uncertainly, hobbled by the lack of chemistry between its two lead actors, and by gags that either try too hard or suffer from being barely there.
Latest News for Year One
June 20, 2009:
Crude cavemen encounter Biblical events in raunchy road comedy. ![]()
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June 19, 2009:
The Friday Harvest: This Week's Best Pictures, Posters, and Video
Happy Friday Harvest, a weekly round-up of the best pictures, posters, and videos that have become available for viewing/download on Rotten Tomatoes. Each section features the... More...
June 18, 2009:
Black's biggest idiot in the village, overly flirty heathen turned moronic messiah tries to hunt and gather copious hairy bodied babes who really know how to stroke their spears, while a shackled Cera pees upside down through his collar. ![]()
More...
June 18, 2009:
Box Office Guru Preview: Proposal and Year One Bring More Laughs
Five of the top six films are comedies right now but Hollywood believes that's not enough so two new laughers open on Friday to give moviegoers even more options. Sandra Bullock... More...
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