Story
Zed (Jack Black) and Oh (Michael Cera) live in a primitive hunter-gatherer community in which neither excels. Zed is in love with Maya (June Diane Raphael), who wants a big strong man who can protect and provide for her. This is someone who is the exact opposite of Zed. Oh is desperately in love with Eema (Juno Temple), who barely seems to notice his existence. When Zed eats the forbidden fruit, he is cast out of the village. Oh joins him on an adventure to see the world and begin a new community. Instead they stumble upon Cain (David Cross) and Abel (Paul Rudd), who are fighting in a field. After Cain murders Abel, Zed and Oh find themselves at the mercy of a mad man who will do whatever it takes to save himself, including selling Zed and Oh as slaves.
Zed and Oh see Maya and Eema again in a slave market. The women have been captured by a neighbouring tribe and have also been sold as slaves. Zed promises that he will find a way to free them all. When their caravan is attacked by soldiers, Zed and Oh escape into the desert. While trying to follow the caravan, they find themselves in a Hebrew village as guests of Abraham (Hank Azaria). Abraham is obsessed with circumcising his son Isaac (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and any other males he can find.
Zed and Oh make a quick getaway, heading straight to the sinful city of Sodom and further adventures.
Themes
Incest; slavery; parodies of biblical characters
Violence
This movie contains some violence. For example:
Sexual references
This movie contains many crude sexual references. Examples include references to male and female genitalia, heterosexual and homosexual intercourse, incest and male circumcision.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
This movie contains some use of substances. For example:
- The people who live in Sodom drink a lot.
- The virgins are given a special drink before they are thrown into a sacrificial fire. They are told that they won’t feel a thing. Maya licks the goblet after drinking every drop and walks towards the temple as if she is happily drunk.
Nudity and sexual activity
This movie contains some nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- Zed does a sexy, pelvic-thrusting dance for Maya. He asks, ‘Can you say no to this?’
- The cave people wear skimpy costumes that expose their torsos, thighs and cleavage.
- Women passionately kiss each other in the streets of Sodom.
- Maya and Zed kiss passionately with open mouths. Zed says that he is thinking of adding the tongue. They promise to work on it. Later he is seen exploring her face with his tongue, even poking it up her nose.
- Eema rubs the spear of a hunter in a very provocative way.
- Oh shares a bed with a man who likes to ‘multiply with sheep’.
- Zed dangles his loincloth over his head and sucks its tip as he gets into bed with Cain’s sister.
Product placement
None of concern
Coarse language
This movie contains some mild to medium-level coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Year One is a crude and silly comedy. It might appeal to older adolescents and fans of Jack Black.
The main messages from this movie are that you have choices in life. Through your choices and actions you make your own destiny.
Values in this movie that you might wish to reinforce with older children include:
- optimism and persistence
- the quest for knowledge and wisdom.