Year One probably has a better film pedigree than the film actually turns out. Both Jack Black and Michael Cera have been funnier, but neither one is going too far from the roles they were known for.
Ineffectual hunter Zed (Jack Black) and meek gatherer Oh (Michael Cera) are kicked out of their village. Zed ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and burned down Oh’s house. The magical fruit didn’t seem to do much for Zed’s intelligence. The two set out to make their own way since the village is glad to see them go.
They first encounter Cain (David Cross) and Abel (Paul Rudd). Zed and Oh witness the first murder when the unstable Cain kills Abel because his brother was God’s favorite. Zed and Oh accompany Cain back to his village so that Cain can keep an eye on them and keep them from blabbing about killing.
When Cain goes on the run he convinces the dunderheaded cavemen that they’ll be blamed for the crime. The uneasy trio finds that Zed and Oh’s village has been captured and Maya (June Raphael) and Eema (Juno Temple), two girls who the boys wanted to lay with, have been sold into slavery. Cain says that he has a plan to free the girls, but ends up selling Zed and Oh into slavery.
The slave traders set off into the desert but are attacked by a group of soldiers led by Sargon (Vinnie Jones) of Sodom. Zed and Oh escape but the others are captured by the soldiers. Zed and Oh wander the desert and come across Abraham (Hank Azaria) who is about to kill his son Isaac (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) as a sacrifice.
The interruption causes Abraham to think of it as a sign from God to not kill the boy and he takes Zed and Oh to his camp. When he offers to circumcise the two they decide to travel to Sodom to free Maya and Eema, but also encounter the effeminate High Priest (Oliver Platt), a corrupt King (Xander Berkeley), a beautiful princess (Olivia Wilde), the Holy of Holies, and lead a rebellion.
Jack Black is his blustery self and Cera milks the nebbish act. Harold Ramis too has had better comedies under his belt. It’s not that the film is poorly made it’s just that the jokes fall flat for the most part.
If you’re looking for a biblical comedy, since Year One takes place with a cavalcade of those characters, you’d be better served by Monty Python’s the Life of Brian. Brian was a bit more blasphemous. Year One goes the easy route and ends up being somewhat bland.
It probably would’ve perked things up to have actually had some our dunderheads interact with Jesus. However, it didn’t seem like Ramis wanted to go that far. That may have been a mistake, as Year One doesn’t do much to differentiate itself from other funnier comedies. A wasted effort from all involved.
Year One is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (1.85:1). The film is presented in the 97-minute theatrical cut and the 100-minute unrated cut. I’d imagine that there’s some more sexual innuendo but don’t expect any more funny. Special features include a commentary by director Harold Ramis, Jack Black, and Michael Cera. Special features are presented in high definition.
The disc also features an 8 minute alternative ending, the 17 minute making of “Year One: the Journey Begins,” 14 minutes of extended and alternative scenes, the 2 minute “Sodom’s Got ‘Em” mock commercial, the 2 minute “Leeroy Jenkins: the Gates of Sodom” recreates the World of Warcraft bit, the 5 minute “Line-o-rama” has alternative lines, 4 minutes of deleted scenes, the 2 minute theatrical trailer, and previews for other Sony products.
The disc is also BD-Live enhanced and features CineChat, a feature that allows you to chat with friends while you watch the film. The Year One Cutting Room is an interactive feature that allows you to cut your own scene.
Year One isn’t much to write home about. If this was how civilization began, I’m surprised we’re still around. Luckily, it’s just a bad movie. A nice Blu-ray, but not a very funny film.
Year One (Unrated) [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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