Movie Review "Year One"

"Year One," with Jack Black, Michael Cera, Paul Rudd, Harold Ramis, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin!)

Year One is like what Ghostbusters would be if it was a Geico commercial. That's actually kind of a good thing. The movie combines hilarious moments with some really bad ones. Thankfully, it's more funny than not funny.


Year One actually has some untold back story. First of all, it's not really "year one," more like year nine hundred something, since Adam (Harold Ramis) as an old man appears in it. But anyway, apparently the cavemen have settled where the Garden of Eden is, because on of them (Jack Black) eats the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He comments that it has a "sort of knowledge-y taste." Not really, since him and Michael Cera get kicked out of their cavemen tribe, and form (according to Black's character) the "muscle tribe of power and excellence." So they wander around the Middle East and biblical history from Cain and Abel to Sodom. It's funny especially because Black's character (named Zed) is convinced he's chosen by God to do something, while Cera's character (named Oh) ends up inventing atheism when he wanders in Sodom's holy room where the "gods" are said to be. The comments involving them are mostly hilarious and will have you in hysterics.

Which is where it screws up. Sort of. Christopher Mintz-Plasse (playing the role of a "McLovin-ized" Issac) has some of the worst lines in the movie, and it's Harold Ramis' (the director) fault. After films like Superbad, he deserves a much better role. And there's way too many scatological stuff. All of that is mostly Michael Cera, as he pukes, gives an oil rub to a hairy makeup wearing fat guy, and pees into his own nose while he's upside down. Meanwhile, Jack Black eats bear crap (literally). Other than that and some really stupid characters (Cain and Abel, everyone but Zed, Oh, a hot princess, Abraham and Issac), the movie is really good. But if you don't like Ghostbusters (which you should), then you shouldn't watch this.

Score: 8/10

McLovin score: 11/10