Year One (2009)

Ridiculous - 2.5/5

So I saw this film the other night called 'Year One' and I can say that I was enjoying it for about the first 5 minutes but then I realised how idiotic it was an spent the rest of the film enjoying a few cheap laughs and enduring a ridiculous plotline. The weird thing about this film was the about of big names it attracted. Despite a laughable plotline there seemed to be a lot of famous acting talent on board. This included the main two male character Jack Black and Michael Cera, David Cross, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Vinnie Jones, Hank Azaria and Paul Rudd. Ok, so they may not be some of the biggest names, but when you look just at comedy films they are all well known. Except Vinnie Jones, I have no idea why he was in this.

Jack Black was his normal annoying self and Michael Cera somehow managed to play his stereotypical shy and understated character even whilst being dressed as a caveman. I think this film comes as a black mark on Cera's career which has included some brilliant films including 'Superbad' and 'Youth In Revolt'. These films he can take pride in but I think this one was a slight embarrassment. However, Cera was the best character in the film, and provided far more entertainment than Jack Black managed to.

To sum up how poor this film was I would say this: I think the most entertaining part of the whole thing were the outakes. In terms of outakes, they were pretty good. In terms of a film, it was pretty poor. When I started the film I actually thought I was going to enjoy it but alas it spiralled uncontrollably down into the realms of unmemorable films. This one is one to miss. A message for Michael Cera: stick to what you're good at.

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The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

Barrel of Laughs - 3.5/5

So I saw this film called 'The 40 Year Old Virgin'. It's a barrel of laughs isn't it? With a stellar cast including funny-men Steve Carrell and Seth Rogen you can't help but find this film hilarious. There's a guy in this called Gerry Bednob too! Add to this a title which tells you straight from the start that this is going to make you laugh and you've got yourself a movie. Now I won't pretend it's the funniest film out there but it is genuinely laugh out loud hilarious in places. Judd Apatow delivers his brand of comedy and it appeals to almost everyone.
I must digress slightly here as I remember what a friend said to me last night in the pub. What is Seth Rogen's main film? In popular films he features but rarely plays a big role. I know he was the main character in 'Observe and Report' and to a degree 'Pineapple Express' but somehow he manages to fade into the background. Everybody loves him but when I was asked the question I was like uhhhhhh... You probably think I'm crazy and disagree with me but it's something to think about.
Back to the film then. I didn't like Romany Malco's character Jay one bit and I don't think he was acted as well as he should have been. You put in the token black guy of the group and make him a stereotypical 'bitch' hunter. It's wearing a bit thin. Why not swap his character with Seth Rogen's? That could have made for some funnier stuff.What I liked about how this film was laid out however was that, in places, you could see the actors bringing in their own material and it's nice to see that, you know that the actors are having a laugh and this draws you in to having a laugh with them. Parts of the storyline sagged slightly and the ending did let it down a bit but overall I'd say it was a success.
Would I recommend it? If you want some laughs, go for it.