Year One (PG-13)
Mike:
Scott:
Scott: Tonight we are reviewing Year One
, a comedy about the beginning of civilization and yet we've all heard these jokes before.
What did you think Mike?
Mike: It's not Jack Black's worst movie, that would be Nacho Libre, but it isn't particularly good either. Michael Cera is not quite strong enough to save this thing.
What did you think?
Scott: The good thing is they have 2008 more years tries to get it right, the bad thing is they will need all of those attempts. It was as bad as you probably thought it would be when you saw the trailers.
Mike: I was hoping for an update of History of the World Part I, but instead we got Cavemen.
Caveman? Or whatever that genius Ringo Starr movie was called.
Scott: Caveman would have gotten an Oscar had it gone up against this.
This movies stars Black as Zed and Cera as Oh and it's supposed to take place in some prehistoric time. They leave their tiny backward village and move through scenes in the Old Testament - with comedic attempts of course.
Mike: Jack Black plays Jack Black and I am pretty much over it.
Scott: Jack Black is apparently the same in every movie. Him, Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler need to trade routines because I am tired of seeing the same thing from them each time.
Mike: The timeline is a bit fuzzy. Maybe they aren't cavemen, maybe they're just homeless?
Scott: The timeline isn't important! Stop paying attention! Everything is funny, drink the Kool-Aid.
Mike: Ok forget the timeline; let’s focus on the normally funny people who are pretty much wasted in this film: Oliver Platt, David Cross, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin) and Hank Azaria.
Scott: Until I looked at the credits I didn't figure out that was Oliver Platt.
Mike: I knew it was, but I keep hoping that isn't his real chest hair/sweater.
Scott: If it was real, it was impressive, scary, but impressive.
Mike: I am still having nightmares about being forced to rub oil on him.
Poor McLovin doesn't get anything funny either.
Scott: The one person I did laugh at was Azaria and even that was only twice.
Mike: Horatio Sanz can be funny-I've seen it on SNL, but here he is given absolutely nothing to do. At all.
Scott: Sanz must have had lines that were cut because you are right, he was mute.
You forgot to mention Paul Rudd and occasionally funny Bill Hader.
Mike: Yes. Rudd is great-all 30 seconds of him and Hader is pretty much unrecognizable. I did recognize his voice though.
And another thing. I like gross just fine, but they went out of their way to be gross just for gross sake. Not actually funny.
Scott: Yeah, I guess they were trying to figure out what they haven’t done before.
I also was annoyed that each time something got exciting they would cut to the next scene and you would miss possible fun scenes.
Mike: Now that you mention it, there are a couple times you think "How are they going to get out of this?” and then it’s suddenly the next scene with no explanation.
Scott: They at least got the names from the Old Testament correct.
Hey Mike, do you want to know what's really funny?
Mike: Your haircut? No, what?
Scott: Farting! It's so funny I can't even explain it.
Mike: Almost as funny-Urinating and eating poop. We get that here too.
Scott: That was SWEET!
Harold Ramis is Adam and Rhonda Griffis is Eve? I seriously never heard them called by name in the movie. I just thought they were some random historical people.
Mike: Harold Ramis isn’t even funny in this movie, which is sad because he wrote and directed it.
Scott: He's actually anti-funny. I think he's supposed to be funny, but all humor leaves the room during his scenes.
Mike: I'm pretty sure he used to be funny, too. He was in Ghostbusters and Stripes. Heck he directed Caddyshack and Groundhog Day. I think we both agree that they are classics.
Scott: He's got a great heritage; there is no arguing on that from me. In fact, all the funny people in this movie have had really good movies in the past. They just didn't have one here.
Mike: This is like taking top quality ingredients to make hog slop. Yes, I said it hog slop.
Scott: I keep telling people; Jack Black was great in Airborne. Woohoo Augie!.
Mike: School of Rock was apparently a onetime fluke.
Scott: You know what would have been fun? Have Cera and Black change roles. That way we could see these guys do something different from there normal shtick.
Mike: Sorry, that is waaay too creative for anyone involved in this gem.
I feel like I have to mention Olivia Wilde of House fame. Not because she is funny, but she sure looks good here.
Scott: Even given all that I said, I still might pay to see this just because she is in it. She looks a lot better in this than in doctor's whites on House.
Mike, do you, per chance, know who is a producer on this movie?
Mike: Could it be, I don't know.....Judd Apatow?
Scott: Good guess!
Mike: He is not going to beat The Hangover putting out stuff like this.
Scott: He's a quantity guy anyway.
He gets a good movie about 1/3 of the time, but only 1 in the last 2 years.
Mike: Apparently the writers other than Ramis are on the staff of The Office, but they did not bring their A game.
Scott: The part I really wanted to talk about was the soundtrack.
Mike: Soundtrack?
Are you making a joke?
Scott: How do you rate this?
See how annoying it is to get ready to see something, or in this case read something, and then have it skipped right over?
They do that a lot.
Mike: I am going to rate this 1.5 overall and a 1 for comedy. I have to admit that I laughed once or twice, although that may have only been to stave off boredom.
How about you?
Scott: You know, I think this is the first time a movie ever rated itself. I give it a One for comedy and a One over all.
Wait for Year Zero, the prequel. It has to be better.
