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Year One (2009)

Director: Harold Ramis

Time Out rating

Average user rating

9 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Set at the dawn of humanity (sort of), a time of hunter-gatherers, peasant farmers and idol-worshipping Sodomites, ‘Year One’ wants to be seen as a freeform, knockabout trawl through Biblical history, perfect for an undemanding Saturday night. There are only two problems: it’s kind of dull and just isn’t funny.The film’s most obvious inspiration is Mel Brooks, notably ‘History of the World’. It’s an appropriate comparison: the films share a similarly ramshackle structure, reliance on pop-culture references and shameless mugging from a largely wasted cast. Dominating proceedings here is Jack Black, going through the madcap motions as hapless cave-schlub Zed, banished from his tribe with only naive sidekick Oh (Michael Cera) for company. The pair find themselves traipsing through the Old Testament, encountering David Cross’s murderous Cain and Hank Azaria’s circumcision-crazy Abraham, before ending up at the fall of Sodom.

If the stage seems set for some ‘Life of Brian’-style religious lampoonery, forget it: Ramis and his writers aren’t about to risk saying anything remotely controversial. Instead we’re treated to farting peasants, slapstick violence and a series of increasingly tiresome gay jokes courtesy of Oliver Platt’s Sodomite high priest. Ramis makes the best of spectacular locations, but the set and costume design is so shoddy the film looks more like a student revue than a Hollywood blockbuster. Which is another apt analogy: with its adolescent exhibitionism, scattershot improv and a general air of jokes-for-the-boys, ‘Year One’ belongs more to the college theatre than the multiplex.

Author: Tom Huddleston

Time Out London Issue 2027, June 25 – July 1, 2009

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User reviews of this film

Dean Ball said...

Posted on Feb 03 2010 09:52 worst film ever.I want my £4 back as it is not fit for purpose wasted 1hour and 32 mins of life that I will never get back

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danielle hatcliffe said...

Posted on Jul 26 2009 19:07 this film is awsome ! i love ryan aswell xx

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jack black said...

Posted on Jul 21 2009 22:08 i absolutly loved it man it was frikkkin awsomee!! go see it orr you will never get over it!
bahhaaaha!!
peace you guys! (P_L)

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Russell said...

Posted on Jul 13 2009 17:37 The start is a bit slow and as a set up kinda painful but stick with it, it has a great cast with fantastic cameos all over the place, Michael Cera is one of the most likeable actors in movies... Jack Black... well he's pretty much same as usual. It wont be the best movie you see, probably not even top ten, but it's funny and is worth seeing.

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Connor said...

Posted on Jul 12 2009 16:10 forgot to rate it

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Connor said...

Posted on Jul 12 2009 16:10 Very Disappointing film. Wanted to leave as has been said but i had to pay to see it :(

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laura said...

Posted on Jul 12 2009 09:45 gr8 film i love it really funny and im getting it on dvd

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anneka said...

Posted on Jul 11 2009 15:41 this film wasnt all its cracked up 2 be me and my partner nearly left half way through it wasnt funny and deffo wasnt entertaining realy bad movie very glad we never paid to see it

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Daniel cullinane said...

Posted on Jul 04 2009 14:03 The film is a reasonable summer comedy.

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