Trailer Tuesday: Year One

Right, I can't say I've been following Year One in any particular detail, or with any great interest. Most of all my attention was caught by the unusual premise, which sees Jack Black and Michael Cera performing their usual comic shtick against an ancient Biblical world backdrop.

Watching the trailer, the film seems to be some kind of cross between Monty Python's Life of Brian and 10,000 BC, with Black and Cera's bumbling tribesmen encountering Biblical figures like Cain and Abel as they journey around the Holy Land.

Year One is written and directed by Harold (Caddyshack, Groundhog Day, Ghostbusters) Ramis, so the film's comedic pedigree is pretty solid. The likes of Oliver Platt, Paul Rudd, Christopher (McLuvin) Mintz-Plasse, Hank Azaria, Bill Hader and Vinnie Jones also all pop up in small parts, so there are enough recognisable faces around for audiences to play the usual pleasant "What's he been in?" game.

Still though, I have my doubts about Year One... mostly because a little Jack Black goes a long way (at least for me). And although I find Michael Cera likeable, his whiny geek act can also grow quite tedious after a few hours of constant exposure. Plus, I was disappointed to read that after Year One initially received an R-rating for sexual content and bad language, the filmmakers were forced to edit it until it finally landed a teen friendly PG-13 rating. That always seems a bit of a cop out to me.


Anyway, there can be little doubt that Year One will drum up some controversy in its own little way - which will likely bump up its box office takings. Some conservative Christian organisation will no doubt hear about the film at the last minute and raise a storm about the film's disrespectful treatment of Old Testament figures.

No clue yet when Year One will open in South Africa, but it's set for a North American release on 19 June.