When searching for a fun family blockbuster to hit up this holiday weekend, be sure to skip past Year One. Although the quick wit of Jack Black and Michael Cera might entice you, rest assured that if you’ve seen the commercials, then you’ve already seen all the funny parts this movie has to offer.
Black plays Zed, a caveman who eats an apple from the Tree of Knowledge, and suddenly finds himself questioning his place in his caveman village. Cera is Oh, Zed’s trusty sidekick, who is unsure that Zed has any sort of calling, but follows his friend into banishment when Zed accidentally sets the village on fire. The two then embark on an unexplained voyage through time, first running into Cain (David Cross) and Abel (Paul Rudd), two of Adam and Eve’s children, just in time to witness Abel’s infamous murder. With four such talentedly-funny actors on screen, audiences will be sorely let down by the awkward humor.
Zed and Oh continue their journey, next running into Abraham (Hank Azaria) and Isaac (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, better known as McLovin from 2007′s Superbad), another Biblical family 20 generations removed from Adam, but seemingly just down the road from the cavemen’s last adventure. The pair eventually make it to Saddam and Gomorrah, and end up in Roman times by the end of the film, all the while attempting to save two cavewomen.
With a cast so stacked with funny actors, Year One really falls flat. Although there are light moments between Black and Cera, the laughs are few and far between, and the story is weak. If you’re still itching for the theater this weekend, look out for Public Enemies or Ice Age– but stay away from Year One.
