"Extract" Movie Review

As Hollywood enters a down period, we take a look at the new Mike Judge film, Extract (R). Jason Bateman stars as an extract factory owner who is having trouble connecting with his wife (Kristin Wiig), so he confides in his bartender friend (Ben Affleck) while lusting after a new temp (Mila Kunis) in his factory.

Ryan: Extract is Mike Judge’s third feature film. His first movie Office Space evolved into a comedic classic while his second movie, Idiocracy left a lot to be desired. Unfortunately Extract is more Idiocracy than Office Space. Regrettably those people hoping for a comedy on the same high level of Office Space are going to be disappointed. At its best Extract is simply a mediocre movie.

Andy: In all fairness, it would do well to remember that Office Space was not very highly regarded until over a year after its original release. That said, it seems unlikely that Extract will ever live up to that level. It is in the same spirit as Office Space, as the scenes inside the factory resonate with anyone who has ever worked in that environment. Unfortunately, those scenes are only scattered throughout the film. That would be fine if the rest of the movie was compelling, but it’s not. The result is a mediocre movie that had potential to make a lasting impact while being legitimately funny.

Ryan: Extract is an uneventful movie. It doesn’t take a lot of analysis to figure out why. It’s boring. It’s a ninety-minute movie that feels like a two and a half hour long marathon. There are a few funny moments but overall the movie fails to generate consistent laughs on any level. It’s not a train wreck of a movie, like this summer’s Year One, but it certainly fails to deliver the laughs and social commentary that Judge has captured in the past with some of his work.

Andy: While there are certainly too many down moments of Extract, I think it’s a little unfair to say that it feels like two and a half hours. The major problem is that none of the characters are dynamic enough to capture the attention of the audience. Bateman’s character is the only one based in reality enough for us to relate to, and he ends up being, literally, too boring to root for. The other characters are extremely ridiculous, which does translate to some laughs, but not enough to make up for the lack of a connection.

Ryan: Extract is also one of those movies that is a missed opportunity. The cast that was assembled for this movie had the chops to deliver a strong comedic film. Unfortunately their talents are wasted. I don't assess much of the blame to the cast members because they didn't have much to work with. But it's also true that nobody rises above the material either. No matter how one looks at it Extract is an all-around lackluster effort.

Andy: Extract has an impressive cast that fails to impress. Ben Affleck seems to be having fun playing his role as a drug obsessed bartender, but his character does little for the movie. Kristen Wiig is solid but underused. The real highlight is, of all people, Gene Simmons, whose turn as a back-of-the-phone-book injury attorney is outstanding. Simmons is quite funny, but his character, by design, is barely in the movie. That leaves a lot of laughter-free time that is hard to overcome.

Extract is a comedy that fails to consistently make the audience laugh. Final grade: C.