Extract is Mike Judge's latest movie. Mike Judge is the genius behind such classics as Office Space, Beavis and Butthead, and King of the Hill. But he seriously missed the boat on Extract. It's another one of those movies that had a hilarious movie trailer but a not so hilarious movie. I have to say I was supremely disappointed in this one. While I never really got into Beavis and Butthead or King of the Hill, I thought Office Space was awesome, and I still do. Extract is one I wish I had not seen because it kind of hurts my admiration for Mr. Judge.
Extract is about Joel (Jason Bateman - Juno, Arrested Development). He owns an extract factory. He's trying to sell the company to General Mills and get out from under the huge weight on his shoulders. But in his journey of life he has a horrific workplace injury/ potential lawsuit to deal with, a possibly unfaithful wife to worry about, an annoying neighbor to avoid, a scam artist hottie to try to seduce, and a doped up best friend to listen to. All of this is seemingly undeserved because Bateman's Joel really seems like a decent guy.
Bateman, who I think can really do no wrong, plays this role a little too straight. I mean, he plays an incredible likable if not a little up tight guy, but he's just not really the funny that I like to see him be. You do genuinely feel for the guy when the world decides to take a huge dump on him. Mila Kunis (That 70s Show) plays the hot little scam artist, and while she has developed into a pretty smoking hot girl, you really don't like her at all, but you do see what Bateman's character sees in her, because, like I said before, she's hot. David Koechner (Champ Kind from Anchorman) plays the most annoying person I've seen on screen in a long time. Annoying characters are funny when, yes, while they annoy the other characters, they are are still funny to the audience. Well, Koechner plays this role too good I think because he annoyed the hell out me too. So I did not laugh at his annoyances towards Joel, because I was just as frustrated. Kristen Wiig (SNL) plays Joel's wife, and really has no redeeming qualities. She's not the normally funny actress that I like, she's a bad wife, and yet Joel still loves her. Yet another reason to like the guy. Ben Affleck plays the role of the bartending, pot smoking best friend, and while he did a pretty good job in this movie, Ben Affleck just isn't all that believable as a pot head. I'm sorry, he's just better suited playing an ass hole or something.
While I was quite disappointed in this movie, it wasn't totally devoid of laughs. There are a couple of parts that actually made me laugh out loud, but for the most part it was just lacking. It felt like it was almost good, but just missed a little bit of one ingredient that could have made it really enjoyable. If you are sick on a Tuesday afternoon, and there's nothing else on, or if its on and you are looking to watch something before you go to bed, I suggest watching it. You'll have a decent time with it. Or if you are a big Mike Judge fan and may dig some of his humor more than me, you'll like this one. Otherwise, I wouldn't waste a movie rental on this one.
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