Review: Year One

Every time I see the trailer for Year One, I really don’t laugh. I just look at it. So when I was given the opportunity to see the movie for free, I figured why not. I mean, I’m not spending any money so what’s a couple of hours? Damn, I was wrong.

First we all know that this couldn’t have been the first year of the Earth by no stretch of the imagination, but we’re going to let that go just for the fun of it. This movie had no plot at all. If it had nice special effects maybe that would be fine but with bad comedy on top of it…it was a waste of time. I think I would have rather watched paint dry.

You would think that with Jack Black and Michael Cera, it would be a funny movie. Jack Black played in some of the funniest movies in the last couple of years, School of Rock, Kung Fu Panda, King Kong (wait that was a comedy right?). Then you have the new guy, Michael Cera from Juno and Superbad. Plus, the movie is directed by Harold Ramis. This is the same genius behind National Lampoon's Vacation, Caddyshack and Analyze This. So how did this movie go so wrong?

Let’s look at a different way. How much do you really love Jack Black’s movies? You laughed a couple of times in School of Rock but did you really laugh? Did you talk to your friends about something he did or something the kids did? Then Michael Cera, does he play the same kind of guy in all of his movies? And if the last big movie that Harold Ramis directed was Analyze That in 2002, then maybe his humor is out of date.

Whatever the issues are, this movie is a true waste of time. I’m mad that I spent an hour and 45 minutes watching it. My friend asked me after it was over, “What was that?” All I could do was shrug my shoulders. I have no clue. Don’t pay for that movie. Don’t rent it; don’t wait for cable, wait until it comes on broadcast TV. The commercials will make it better ‘because you can change the channel!’ If you want to see a comedy about the beginning of time, rent Mel Brooks' History of the World: Part 1. A much better movie with a lot of laughs. Way, way better!

Grade: F -