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Year One

(2009, Rated PG-13, Comedy, Starring Jack Black, Olivia Wilde, Michael Cera)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 14.
  • Is it any good?

    2.0
  • Common Sense says

    Old Testament meets old jokes in rough, unfunny comedy.

Themes in this movie include:   friendship

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–17

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Much of the movie mocks prehistoric/Old Testament-era attitudes about everything from worship to gender relations ("give her a little tap on the head -- women really respond to that"). It's clearly satirical, but it can be difficult to separate the satire from the depiction of questionable acts. There's also lots of potty humor (including one character eating feces and another peeing on his own face), extensive discussion of sex, violence, and some strong racial and gay stereotyping. It's all meant in fun, but it's regrettably not that funny.
  • Role models :

    Although the two main characters generally mean well, they're not really meant to be seen as role models -- Zed acts rashly and doesn't consider the consequences of his behavior, while Oh is a little too passive and often gets caught up in situations against his will. Women are frequently objectified, and characters are routinely portrayed in stereotypical fashion.
  • Violence:

    Scuffling, mostly for comedic purposes. Cain repeatedly beats his brother Abel with a stone, a man is speared in the shoulder, virgins are hurled into a sacrificial flame (a high priest doused with oil also wanders a little too close...), characters are stoned in public, a woman is punched in the face, characters are attacked by a cougar and a snake, a soothsayer reads bloody entrails, characters are whipped, and prisoners are hung upside down.
  • Sex:

    Extensive discussion of sex, sexual acts, and techniques; many jokes about "sodomy," as much of the plot takes place in the ancient city of Sodom. References to "laying with"; at one point it's implied that a character has "lain with" their mother. One character explains that she's "into girls," plus other references to homosexual acts (including between priests and boys). Also references to coerced sex, orgies, enuchs, and virginity (and its absence). Kissing, scantily clad women and men. Discussion of castration, circumcision, and more.
  • Language:

    Pretty frequent strong language, including "suck," "a--hole," "ass," "f--ked the pooch," "s--t," "crap," "hell," "dick," "poop," "bastards," 'bulls--t," and more. Discussions of "sodomy."
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Characters drink wine and liquor and smoke pipes. References to "killer hemp."
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Year One

Parents need to know that this farcical romp through the Book of Genesis -- which was originally rated R but got edited down to an edgy PG-13 -- is full of slapstick violence, crude sexual material, strong language (including "f--k"), and stereotypes. Since it stars Jack Black and Michael Cera, it's pretty clear that this isn't The Flintstones: There's lots of gross-out humor (bear feces are viewed up close, an obese hairy man gets an oil massage, a eunuch carries his removed testicles around in a small pouch, etc., etc.) and some fairly pointed mocking of the ideas and concepts of the Old Testament. Whether that adds up to ribald fun or offensive insults will depend on your perceptions.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the comedic appeal of putting modern characters and ideas into the ancient world -- is the point to make us laugh at the shortcomings of the past or to encourage us to look at our own era's ideas and assumptions with clearer eyes?
  • Why do you think the filmmakers chose to go for a PG-13 rating instead of an R? Can you sense where the edges of the film were smoothed down for a PG-13? How different do you think it would have been if it had stayed R?

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Our Members Say

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See all 36 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 2.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    silly and inappropriate

    I think the movie should be rated differently. It was not funny. It was silly and inappropriate. The language and sexual content are not necessary and the movie would have been better without them.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    AWESOME

    I LOVED THE MOVIE!!! IT WAS SOOOOOO FUNNY!!

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title off for age 14 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message

    I hate this movie It was stupid.the language in the film was raunchy and crude non-stop. One of the main characters in the movie talked about having sex with his crush through the whole movie.Some strong amounts of drinking in some parts of the movie. THIS FILM WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPOSE TO BE RATED R and it's still just as bad. :(

  4. I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 1.0

    DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS CRAP! I WAS SO DISSAPOINTED.

  5. Parent Reviewer
    I rate this title off for age 14 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    Disappointing that Jack Black did this; don't bother if it's for your family.

    Hated it. Have loved Jack Black in other films; Nacho Libre, School of Rock; this was extremely disappointing; turned it off after the f*** bomb dropped and scene after scene of sexual innuendos; we got maybe 30 minutes if not less into the movie.

  6. I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 3.0

    It was alright

    Not the greatest movie...but hey, i got it for free from www.rewards1.com/index.php?referrer_id=1194359

  7. I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it 1.0

    stupid for everyone

    Hated it.

  8. Parent Reviewer
    I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message

    crude humor, did not like at all

    time waste

  9. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 2.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    IT'S OKAY.

    IT'S OKAY. THE TEENS WOULD PROBABLY NOT LIKE IT..

  10. I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    a disatser of epic proportions!

    I wouldn't let my kids see this movie if it meant life or death!

  11. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in California
    I rate this title off for age 9 and give it 1.0

  12. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Tennessee
    I rate this title off for age 15 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message

    The movie berates themes many feel are a matter of faith. The language is offensive. We left before getting too far into the comedy.

  13. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in California
    I rate this title off for age 13 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    This movie was really awkward and disgusting. One part was funny, but the rest was just gross, unfunny, and a waste of money.

  14. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Michigan
    I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message

    Just not that funny

    Just not that funny. Not quite a total waste of mnoey, but close

  15. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title off for age 14 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Negative message

    Terribly bad, don't watch it.

    As a Christian, I found it offensive. I wouldn't reccommend it to anyone as it has no positive message whatsoever.

  16. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title off for age 14 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Negative message

  17. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 2.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    stupid road trip movie is raunchy and unfunny

    the two jokes i found funny were the joke when they light the guys house on fire and he starts screaming and then he goes oh wait that's not my house and when kain kills his brother abel in a ludicrously funney scene

  18. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Kentucky
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative role models

    Funny but crude

    These guys are total dooche bags and swear and a lot of gay sexual religous and stuff but it was hilarious

  19. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative role models

    Stay Home!

    This should have worked. I mean, it had an all star ensemble of very talented actors. It was even written by Harold Ramis, he made Ghostbusters for crying out loud! That just makes this dissapointing film all the more, well, dissapointing. The first couple of scenes were pretty funny, I was expecting a new Monty Python or History Of The World Pt. 1. What I did get, however, is one of the worst and most vulgar PG-13 films of the past decade (And that's no small feat). Like I said in my review of Transformers 2, if the sex jokes aren't good enough to be in an American Pie film, then they aren't good enough to exist, period. That statement applys perhaps more to this movie than TF2. That said, I don't recommend this film for teens not just because it's VERY vulgar, but because it's nothing more than an unfunny SNL skit stretched out for 90 minutes. One historical spoof I DO recommend is Monty Python & The Holy Grail

  20. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Colorado
    I rate this title off for age 16 and give it 2.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    Not for anyone...

    This should be rated R in my opinion. I didn't do my homework before taking my 14 year old to this with my fater-in-law. It seemed like the whole movie was focused on sexual activities and was very uncomfortable to watch. I wouldn't recommend this movie to adults.

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