So let’s get some facts out of the year. “A Big Year” is when a person decides to take a year out of their life to try and become the world’s best “birder” by seeing and identifying as many species of birds within North America as they can. Apparently many people try to do this, according to this film, each year. Very few, obviously, actually make it into the top rankings to get the illustrious title.

This year we focus on three main players in the running for the “birding” record: Brad (Jack Black), a 30-something divorcee who need something spectacular in his life, Stu (Steve Martin), a man who’s accomplished everything a man would need to in his life and has finally made the decision to retire from his business to follow his passion of birding, and Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson), the current record holder for doing “a big year” and is out to make sure that no potential birders out there who can squash it.

So as the film moves along we follow these three “great birders” as they quest for the title of the number one birder. We question each one’s sanity, except Stu (he’s old and retired and rich, he can do whatever he wants in my opinion), and just watch as this adventure affects their lives. For some it enhances it and for others it completely disintegrates what their real lives have left.

What I enjoyed was watching how much more enjoyment Stu and Brad got out of the year rather than Kenny, mainly because Stu and Brad’s adventure was fuelled by a love of birding rather than Kenny who’s was running on the idea of spiting those with the passion. Kenny made the year into a year of work rather than enjoyment and marvelling this natural resource that everyone else just enjoys.

This movie isn’t bad as much as it’s uninteresting. It’s most interesting moments are the moments where we get to spend time with the birds as opposed to the people, which is sad to say since one of the main actors was once one of the best comedians in film. Half way through the film while I was treated to an explanation of the Bald Eagle mating ritual and I came to realise that my time would be better spent at home watching Animal Planet. This film was basically a sad way to have me watch Animal Planet and learn about something that I didn’t before.

Otherwise the film is not that funny and not even that heart-warming. It’s just over ninety minutes of just nothingness, which at times can be worse than actually actively bad storytelling.

Rating: 3.5/10