Year One (2009)

After being banished from their tribe, two hunter-gatherers encounter Biblical characters and eventually wind up in the city of Sodom. (IMDb)

There are some laughs to be had from Black’s signature crazy schtick (I confess, it was his shit-tasting that got the biggest guffaw out of me) and Cera’s awkward one (“She’s really making that banana last”), and the irreverent trip through biblical history is occasionally funny, but it’s mostly just another crude and immature comedy overloaded with sex jokes, with a dumb plot slapped on top (Zed’s transformation was completely undercooked; it’s better to not even try with these type of films).

5.5/10 (Poor)

 

Sausage Party (2016)

A sausage strives to discover the truth about his existence. (IMDb)

The puns are okay, but the creative anthropomorphic food premise is funniest in its extreme plays on humanity’s physical aspects; namely, death (see the flour shell-shock scene, kitchen massacre) and sex (see the outrageous ending orgy). It swings and misses everywhere else, moving from a promisingly hilarious opening musical number to a swear-overloaded script with nary a clever joke, and a religion-related thesis just as lacking in subtlety. The meta-ending also felt silly and unnecessary.

6.5/10 (Alright)

Juno (2007)

Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.  (IMDb)

For all of the film’s briefness, the characters have remarkable depth–the most surprising being the supporting Bateman and Garner’s cool but flaky Mark and uptight but sympathetic Vanessa. Their shaky marriage adds an intriguing layer of drama to the already witty yet genuine teen pregnancy/love storyline, featuring the awkward but gentle Cera and the offbeat quick-talking Page, and dressed with a quirky screenplay and an ever present soundtrack both cutely whimsical and sugary sweet.

8/10 (Great)

Superbad (2007)

Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry. (IMDb)

Hill’s uninhibited diatribes and Cera’s patented awkwardness highlight relatable high-school comedy here that soon explodes into a wildly eventful booze-filled, sex-inspired Friday night romp with hilarious one-off characters and a juicy side-plot featuring two drunk cops and the unforgettable “McLovin”. To the film’s added benefit, hints of mature teen-culture commentary are subtly laced throughout the raunchy humour, coming to the forefront in a surprisingly mellow and endearing final scene.

7.5/10 (Really Good)

This Is The End (2013)

The celebrities-playing-themselves bit definitely provides some good laughs; funny scenes are made funnier because it’s Jay Baruchel being made fun of, not a character, for example. The six leads are all in good form and the other cameos are solid as well. The outrageous apocalypse plot serves as a good backdrop for the humour but as the story progresses and quasi-religious elements begin to enter the mix, it starts to feel much too silly, tainting an otherwise decent comedy.

6/10 (Mediocre)