Extract

OK, so it's not Office Space.

Extract reminds me of "Fierce Creatures", another film that had the terrible burden of trying to live up to a previous film made by the same people that achieved genius-level. Well, it seems that making a great comedy can be like waiting for a lightning strike.

Extract is not at the level of Office Space, but it's still very funny. Jason Bateman plays Joel, the owner of an extract factory ('extract' is in flavoring, like vanilla extract). His sex life has become non-existent, and some problems are arising at the workplace. He's tempted by the arrival of a gorgeous temp (Mila Kunis) who also happens to be a thief and con woman. He finds himself hanging out at the office with his buddy Dean (Ben Affleck) who advises him to hire a gigolo for his wife. This sounds like a terrible idea until Dean gives Joel a horse tranquilizer, which seriously impedes his judgment.

And much hilarity ensues.

The cast is terrific, including those named above and Kristen Wiig as Joel's wife; JK Simmons as Joel's partner; Dustin Milligan as Brad, the gigolo; and David Koechner as the neighborhood bore, Nathan. Gene Simmons has an excellent small role as Joe Adler, a local ambulance chaser who advertises on bus stop benches.

The film takes some unusual twists and turns and on the whole offers a lot of laughs. It does not hit the heights of Office Space, but after the dreadfully dull Idiocracy, it makes for a nice film.

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.

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.

In a star studded lineup, the film follows Joel (Jason Bateman), the proud owner of an extract company he built from the ground up. Life seems to be going as per normal, when issues begin to arise and spiral quickly out of control from all aspects of his life. The film also focuses on Cindy (the stunning Mila kunis) who's life of petty crime intercepts Joel's and his company through a series of events leading up to it.

The film was not only written by Mike Judge, but also directed by him. In no disrespect to Mike, its a very simple and slow paced movie, with no twists and turns, action or fancy shots; but on the same token, doesn't require any for it to still be an enjoyable watch. I feel Mike's aim was to relate with the viewer, as it follows a normal guy, who OK, does drive a nice car, has a big house and owns a successful business - which not all of us have the privilege to boast - but nonetheless falls into difficult times through no fault of his own.

There's not too many people who haven't been in a relationship that at some point has soured and lead to temptation, nor has someone not been exposed to wrong doings by others. And everyone's had or unfortunately still has an annoying neighbour, played very amusingly by David Coechner (better known as Champ Kind in Anchorman.)

It times like this when we turn to our friends, which in Joel's case was to Dean (Ben Affleck) who although polar opposite in his outlook on life, provides some strange but tangible advise that seems to only make things worse at first. If you're expecting a clean cut Ben Affleck in this film, then you'll be mistaken. Think long hair, a beard and a hippie personality and you'll be closer to the mark.

Although slow and somewhat predictable, it provides a generous amount of subtle humour throughout, which at times will simply put a smile on your face but at others will have you in stitches of laughter. Combined with a down to earth story line (which ends in true Hollywood fashion) will leave you in good spirits after a pleasurable 92 minutes of viewing. The eye candy provided by Mila doesn't go a miss either!

One of my favorite comedies is the cult film Office Space. Mike Judge directed Office Space as well as Extract. I had fairly high expectations for this movie hoping it would be as enjoyable and entertaining to watch as Office Space. Unfortunately, I was let down by Extract after viewing it.

The movie has a few funny moments, but I didn't think it had enough. Ben Afflek gives a mildly amusing performance as a pot smoking stoner. Jason Bateman and Mila Kunis are alright, but nothing special. I can't say the movie was all that memorable either.

Ultimately, Extract is too uneven and unfocused to be called a success. Fans of Office Space and Mike Judge may want to watch Extract out of curiosity. It's not that great, but it is passable.