overfedcinemafan

Mike Judge has always had an eye for idiocy and has always delighted in pointing out the absurd in a direct, almost painful manner. This time he may have gone too far though; instead of taking a step to the side to allow the audience to see stupidity for what it is, he revels in it, smearing himself, the characters, and his film with a level of idiocy that may seem outlandish or even cartoonish to many, but may also, shockingly, seem all too familiar to anyone that's ever visited sand dunes, stadiums, cinemas, or any other place where the masses gather.

Judge's targets this time around are the usual suspects: corporate America, monster truck fans, fighting fans, sex-crazed lowlifes, custom motorcycle fans, beer can cognoscenti, etc. Starbucks, Fox News {sic}, Carl's Jr., Costco, and countless others come under his fire and most don't do so well. However, the film doesn't gel well at all. The President, the Attorney General, Rita, Joe, and Upgrayedd were all excellent, and the President's address to what was apparently a joint session of Congress was actually quite realistic, what with all the swearing (like any respectable modern-day VP, I guess) but the film seems to plod on from one mini- skit to another.

All is not lost in the world of tomorrow, despite the extent to which morons have taken over mainstream society. There's no hint of racism or even religion, meaning that no matter how dumb people are in the future, even they can figure out they're all the same under the skin, and even they can figure out that talking to somebody invisible in the sky and asking for favours is, well, dim...

If you like idiots, or even if you are an idiot, this film is recommended -- but only for a slow Sunday afternoon or early AM after a long night out. It's heavy-handed and can be strident at times, but all said, it's good clean fun.