The Big Year is a new comedy from director David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada, Marley and Me – good but also Miami Rhapsody – bad) starring Steve Martin, who has been absent for too long, Owen Wilson and Jack Black (who I wish would just go away.)

The premise is supposed to be that three avid ‘bird watchers’ compete to spot the rarest birds in North America at a prestigious annual event. While that sounds silly enough that, in the right hands, especially Steve Martin’s, could be funny. I got none of that from the trailer.From the trailer it appears that three stereotypically mismatched people end up thrown together by outrageous and implausible situations. I’m sure there will be valuable life lessons learned along the way. I didn’t laugh once. Putting Steve Martin in an unfunny comedy is a crime. Am I just a curmudgeon? Do you think this looks funny? You tell me.

The Big Year also stars Rashida Jones, Jim Parsons, Rosamund Pike, Angelica Huston, Joel McHale, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Anderson, Kevin Pollack, Tim Blake Nelson, Brian Dennehy, Jo Beth Williams and Corbin Bernson. WHAT?? What am I missing here? It won’t be playing TIFF, but it opens October 14 in the US and 11 November in the UK.

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