Comedy can be fickle. Team up two laugh masters with a veteran director who knows his way around humour and you end up with Year One, the latest escape yarn from Columbia Pictures now seeking converts at Tinseltown (On Pender, free parking), Empire Studio 12, Colossus and Famous Players Silver City cites around B.C.
History comes alive in this rousing laugher that takes hold way back when cave men were in vogue. Cast as outcasts of your first village are Zed and Oh, two sad sack losers who are the butt of the more he-men of the tribe. Women turn their backs on these nerdy slobs who somehow wind up on the short end of countless sticks. Ridicule comes their way easily as the two are thrown to the wolves, cast out and then seek a new beginning in a somewhat more favourable promised land.
Presented by comedy king Judd Apatow under the mindful eye of consummate director Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters) this joke-filled yarn works. Here the key is the script and Ramis absolutely milks tons of historical themes ranging from cavemen up to and including a host of early biblical milestones. Rolly polly Jack Black (School of Rock) gives his eyebrows another good workout opposite likeable Canadian export Michael Cera (Superbad) who again plays the quintessential yes man goody two shows shy type.
Unfortunately we’ve seen both these actors doing the same type of schtick before. Fans of their mannerisms will like them again here as they do work well together and the one-liners are quite engaging with the jokes being so juvenile they do in fact work. No stretches of their abilities are evidenced here as its more of them playing the same patented characters over and over again, albeit in a different time period. Not all the jokesfire and works. but most do making this a nice light-weight comedy worth your attendance.More fun is experienced with the robust supporting cast including some very funny bits from the likes of Oliver Platt, Vinnie Jones and Christopher Mintz Plasse. Expect to get numerous good chuckles during this 97 minute offering with a warning to stay tuned for the credits that also feature some hysterical outtakes. What doesn’t work are too many abrupt movements from one scene to the next that have no transitions showing either sloppy editing or poor forethought in writing. Read more reviews by Alan at www.moviereviewssite.com
