Fresno Bee Logo

'Year One' a wreck of biblical proportions | The Fresno Bee

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • FAQ
    • Advertise
    • Place Classified Ad
    • Display Advertising
    • Stay Connected
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • E-mail
    • RSS Feeds
    • Archives
    • Activate Digital Subscription
    • Manage Account
    • Newsletters

    • News
    • Local
    • Crime
    • Weather
    • Education
    • Marijuana
    • California
    • Nation/World
    • Databases
    • Special Reports
    • Obituaries
    • Sports
    • High Schools
    • Outdoors
    • Grizzlies
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • College
    • Columnists
    • David White
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The California Influencer Series
    • Political Notebook
    • Fresno State Bulldogs
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Entertainment
    • Calendar
    • Movies
    • Movie Times
    • Music
    • TV
    • Theater & Arts
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Dine Out
    • Peoples Choice
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Beehive
    • Rory Appleton
    • Joshua Tehee
    • Living
    • Food & Drink
    • Calendar
    • Religion
    • Horoscopes
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Beehive
    • Bethany Clough
    • Carmen George
    • Fresno Famous
    • Ask Amy
    • Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
    • Technology
    • Mortgage Rates
    • Blogs
    • BoNhia Lee
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Letters
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Valley Voices
    • Other Opinions
    • Submit a Letter
    • Columnists
    • Armen Bacon
    • Victor Davis Hanson
    • David "Mas" Masumoto
    • Marek Warszawski
    • Today's Obituaries
    • Place an Obituary
  • CV Magazine
  • Peoples Choice Awards
  • Best of Clovis
    • Today's Hot Deal
    • Today's Circulars
    • Classifieds
    • Auctions/Estate Sales
    • Garage Sales
    • Real Estate
    • New Homes Map
    • Jobs
    • Automotive
    • Merchandise
    • Pets
    • Legal Notices
    • Service Directory
    • Classified
    • Open House Weekend
    • Real Estate Marketplace

    • Jobs
    • Fresno Bee Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
    • Search Real Estate
    • New Homes Map
  • Mobile & Apps

Movie News & Reviews

'Year One' a wreck of biblical proportions

By Rick Bentley / The Fresno Bee

    ORDER REPRINT →

June 19, 2009 12:19 AM

In the beginning, Harold Ramis directed “Caddyshack” and it was good. That can’t be said for his latest work, “Year One,” which is worthy of nothing more than to serve as a buffet for dung beetles — and even dung beetles probably have higher standards.

“Year One” starts with a tale of goofy cavemen and then wanders for what seems like 40 years before it tries to be a religion comedy. It is as if Ramis had two bad ideas for movies and hoped that two wrongs would make a right.

Boy, was he wrong.

Jack Black, the 21st century’s answer to Jerry Lewis, mugs his way through the role of Zed. He’s a hunter with no hunting skills who gets banished from the tribe. He’s joined by not-so-good gatherer Oh, played by the one-note, monotoned Michael Cera.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Fresno Bee

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Zed and Oh’s not-so-excellent adventure takes them through a series of Sunday School lessons. There’s the bickering Cain (David Cross) and Abel (Paul Rudd), who both should have been smited. A meeting with Abraham (Hank Azaria) sets off a never-ending string of unfunny circumcision jokes. And, as no surprise, the pair end up in Sodom.

“Year One” is another example of lazy filmmaking being passed off as comedy to moviegoers these days. Talk about enough private parts and the audience might not notice performances so bad by your film’s stars they would be booed out of dinner theater. Load up on body-function jokes and the audience might miss the recycled material.

This uninspired story could have been forgiven if the material had shown even a glimmer of intelligence. Instead, Ramis goes for the crude because it takes no work. It is easier to write a joke about someone urinating on himself than it is to be clever.

Ramis, Black and Cera are not alone. There is plenty of blame for everyone. Oliver Platt destroys whatever crumbs of his career were left with his embarrassing performance as a flamboyant high priest. Olivia Wilde might be the pick as the most beautiful woman in entertainment by a men’s magazine, but her acting is just plain ugly.

Only June Diane Raphael, who plays the object of affection for Zed, brings the right amount of sarcasm to the role. But, she is a lone rose.

The latest work by Ramis starts bad and then takes a turn for the worse. Uninspired writing, made all the worse by amateur acting, leaves “Year One” a complete zero.

  Comments  

Videos

“Last Curtain Call”

Trailer: Ocean's 8 (The Plan Is Priceless)

View More Video

Trending Stories

Deadly accident on Highway 99 takes the lives of five people, including children

February 16, 2019 09:46 PM

Supporters of Trump’s border wall gather in Fresno, are ‘ready for the backlash’

February 16, 2019 03:34 PM

‘Missing’ woman found, left 4-month-old baby alone, Madera County cops say

February 16, 2019 05:01 PM

Tired of Fresno’s coin-fed parking meters? Upgrades are on the way

February 16, 2019 10:00 AM

‘Just please stop coming up here.’ Sierra travel can wait, officials say, as more snow moves in

February 16, 2019 03:40 PM

Read Next

The Latest: Johnson wrecked trying to pit in Daytona 500

Entertainment

The Latest: Johnson wrecked trying to pit in Daytona 500

The Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 17, 2019 02:49 PM

Jimmie Johnson's chances of winning a third Daytona 500 ended with a strange accident on pit road.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Fresno Bee

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE MOVIE NEWS & REVIEWS

‘Alita’ leads a slow Presidents Day box office weekend

Entertainment

‘Alita’ leads a slow Presidents Day box office weekend

February 17, 2019 12:10 PM
Actor Curtis Armstrong gifts film, TV mementos to Oakland U

Entertainment

Actor Curtis Armstrong gifts film, TV mementos to Oakland U

February 17, 2019 08:24 AM
‘Black Panther’ costume designer blazes trail to inspire

Entertainment

‘Black Panther’ costume designer blazes trail to inspire

February 17, 2019 07:29 AM
Nadav Lapid’s ‘Synonyms’ wins top prize at Berlin Film Fest

Entertainment

Nadav Lapid’s ‘Synonyms’ wins top prize at Berlin Film Fest

February 16, 2019 12:57 PM
Academy reverses plans, will air all awards live at Oscars

Entertainment

Academy reverses plans, will air all awards live at Oscars

February 16, 2019 09:45 AM
Women filmmakers have record showing at Berlin Film Festival

Entertainment

Women filmmakers have record showing at Berlin Film Festival

February 16, 2019 09:15 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

The Fresno Bee App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Rewards
  • Pay Your Bill
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Advertising with the Bee
  • Place Classified Ads
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story