Film File - Year One

A road trip through prehistoric times? That"s exactly what happens in this Harold Ramis-directed comedy. When a couple of lazy hunter-gatherers, Zed and Oh (Jack Black and Michael Cera), are banished from their primitive village, they set off on an epic road trip through the ancient world to try to find what life is all about. Co-starring Oliver Platt, David Cross and Hank Azaria, it"s the kind of concept film that must have seemed perfect for the summer teen market with its overloaded quota of bodily fluid jokes, penis jokes, fart jokes and downright bad jokes. Having been kicked out of his Garden of Eden paradise, Zed initially takes well to the challenges of the road having long suspected there had to be more to life than just hunting, gathering and sleeping. His reluctant partner, Oh, however, is dragged into the unknown kicking and screaming - a man whose very name is taken from his standard reaction to life and everything in life that is a threat to his character. Zed, being a searcher needing to figure out what life is really all about, assumes that he"s been chosen by the gods for some great mission, and believes it will give him meaning in his life. After the first half mile of the journey, both partners realise this may be the worst plan in history. En route to their destiny, Zed and Oh begin their adventure, where, along the way, they meet some of the ancient world"s most famous residents: Cain and Abel, Abraham and Isaac, and the denizens of the city of Sodom - a city at whose expense a flurry of tasteless jokes are formed. Joining the two for much of their quest is Cain (David Cross) who, when they meet, is about to kill his brother Abel (Paul Rudd). Add to that line up Abraham (Hank Azaria) as the 137-year-old father of all religions whom director Ramis based on the fire and brimstone character played by George C Scott in John Huston"s epic, 'The Bible" - think 'Patton" underneath an almost unrecognisable mop of hair and robes and you"ll be close to the mark. His hapless son Isaac (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) adds to the off-colour jokes list as the soon-to-be recipient of the first recorded circumcision. In the company of Isaac, Zed and Oh enter the entirely new world of Sodom, an actual city built with stone and mortar, and its High Priest (Oliver Platt), whose private pleasure is having oil rubbed on his extremely hairy belly. 'Year One" is a rollercoaster, dipping into moments of utter bad taste onwards, to unexpected patches of ribald laughter. As a project, it must have been a hoot for the actors to work on - but does take some getting used to if you"re over 25. In the vein of tasteless teen movies right back to 'Porky"s", 'Year One" knows its market - 15 to 21-year olds with few worries other than extra pocket money and the latest spot remover. For the rest of us, it"s a couple of hours best left back in ancient times.