Extract

I have seen it twice now. Sometimes a movie can be reasonably funny the first time, but isnt worth seeing a second time. Fortunately the second time around "Extract" still held it's ground and was as funny as during the first viewing. That is always a good sign, because it means that the dialogues are witty and true to life.

"Extract" is a tongue in cheek comedy, some jokes are right in your face, but most jokes are just funny because of the behaviour of people and the conflicts they get into.

Let's take the main character played by Jason Bateman for example: he hasnt got the privacy to masturbate in his own house. And he HAS to masturbate because his wife Kirsten Wigg only has sex with him once in every 3 months!

He complains about his wife's (Kristen Wiigss) headaches in bed to his friend Ben Affleck. Ben Affleck advises him to have an affair. But just to relieve himself of any guilt he must first make sure his wife has an affair too. What happens next is both hilarious AND endearing.

Bateman carefully balances between humor, grumpiness and everyday relationship boredom, which will be easily recognizable for any (struggling) adult out there...

It is a slow burner story, with a lot of (superb) whining. But I loved it. I didnt burst out in laughter all the time, it is more kinda amusing to see Jason Bateman complaining about his wife's headaches and finding ways to masturbate in the house without his wife finding out about it. Lovely supporting roles of Mila Kunis, amongst others...

"Extract" works well with a majority of its audience. Reason is clear...the cast is very good, story is not boring or cheap; comedy is neither vulgar nor downright stupid; at ~90 minutes it doesn't bore anyone and it has a happy ending!!! Cast wise, a very good job. Jason Bateman plays the sex-deprived businessman role very well. Mila Kunis looks hot throughout the movie and that's exactly what her character was all about. Ben Affleck has a small but a very funny role. JK Simmons hardly does anything wrong about his acting. Others are good in their context.

The best thing about "Extract" is that the humor is maintained throughout the movie. It's neither cheap vulgar comedy nor downright stupid comedy. The comedy is an elaborate mix of these two poles and that's why this movie is like able. All the characters seem to be performing on a high wire and carry themselves very naturally. There is never a dull moment taking into account the short running time. Besides, the soundtrack is so cool. Really lovely songs.

Overall, "Extract" is a good movie. Can't say it's a very good movie, but still I can guarantee few smiles for sure.

My Verdict: 7/10

Awkward situational humor has really been the staple of all of Mike Judge's films and TV ventures (besides the immortal Beavis and Butthead), and his latest effort, "Extract", is really no different. The viewer, I'm guessing, is supposed to laugh at these situations and just take it from there, allowing the actors to feel around. This takes the emphasis off the actors and more on the story, and therein lies the problem. "Extract" is a comedy built for one thing and written for another, and in the end, it becomes a mildly, yet forgettable movie.

"Extract" is so obviously written to be the next "Office Space", which will forever remain Judge's crown jewel as far as films go. The situations are awkwardly funny, yet there really doesn't seem to be a balance to most of it. Judge's newest is rather repetitive in its approach - Joel goes to work, is unhappy. Joel comes home, is interrupted by his annoying neighbor. Joel goes to the bar. Ben Affleck says something witty. Mila Kunis looks hot. The film continues down this path aimlessly, not really offering to build up any suspense as to what could happen with our characters, until a really useless event in the plot causes the movie to end. It experiments with a bit of character development in the lead role of Joel, but everyone else is either a cliché, someone who is not worth developing, or a plot device.

You'll notice that I said the film is written to be an awkward situational comedy, and it clearly is - however, the comedians cast in parts are not really meant for these kind of roles. For some (Jason Bateman, Dustin Milligan), it works and they fit their characters well. For others (Mila Kunis, Clifton Collins Jr.), both actor and character seem out of place, like they belong in a more slapstick or more vulgar and/or stereotypical comedy. The real plus comes from Ben Affleck, who is hilarious just about every time he graces us with his presence, while Kristen Wiig is VASTLY underused. Clifton Collins Jr. is great as well, while Mila Kunis is almost as out of place as she was in "Max Payne". If anything, this film has the most random cameo of all time from Gene Simmons.

Maybe Judge has lost his touch, though I doubt that, because he has a great cameo in the film as well...but his writing is done in a way that it feels like he's building up to one huge punchline that never comes. Don't get me wrong, most people will have a few chuckles and smiles at "Extract", but with Judge's name on it, you'd expect it to be a bit better than the occasional laugh and grin. It doesn't know whether to be absurd, as some characters and jokes are, or the awkward comedy that Judge is so great at doing.

To put it simple, "Extract" lacks the strength of plot, relatability, and character development that Judge's previous works have had. Joel is no Peter from "Office Space". Ben Affleck's character, an obvious rehash of Deidrich Bader's character from the same movie, is the one saving grace, and even he isn't good enough to stop this from becoming nothing more than a mediocre comedy that's best saved for a DVD rental.

This film is about an extract factory owner who encounters problems with his family life and in the work place.

Though the delivery of the film is a little flat, the plot does offers engaging moments that makes viewers care for the characters. Though "Extract" is marketed as a comedy, it is not a film that makes you laugh out loud. Instead, it makes you smile when you appreciate Joel's series of unfortunate situations. Many scenes give just the imagery of what is happening, but does not spell it out. For example, the two shots of the wife tying her trousers gives viewers an idea what is being conveyed, in such a subtle manner that is seldom found in comedies. Some people may think "Extract" is a bore, but I do not think so.

The most unremarkable film of the year that really can't even be labeled as a comedy. I'm shocked because I'm a real fan of King of the Hill and I absolutely adore the entire cast. This is the prototypical example of a film's trailer being FAR better than the film itself. In fact, if you've seen the trailer, don't bother watching the movie at all. It deserves no more of a person's time than a cliff notes, abbreviated recap. The entire running time feels like a failed pilot episode to what would make a bad sit-com. Barely a chuckle in sight, nothing particularly funny or rememberable at all with even Mila Kunis' amazing beauty wasted and held in check.