(Courtesy of Miramax Films)
While it doesn’t pack the same satirical punch as Mike Judge’s previous hit film “Office Space,” “Extract” does offer some seriously funny moments and is chockfull of memorable characters.
“Extract” is one of the better comedies in quite some time. It offers the same caliber of humor as other Mike Judge creations such as “King of the Hill.” While the film isn’t as hyperbolic and socially critical as Judge’s “Office Space,” it holds its own by giving the audience a peek into the dynamics of a factory workplace.
The film follows Joel (Jason Bateman), the owner of a food-flavoring factory, as he struggles to balance the trials in his work life with the frustration of an unresponsive wife in his personal life. Joel is one of the only sane people in this cast full of hyperbolized characters, and Bateman does a good job maintaining a standard level of normalcy in a factory of lunatics.
Things get more complicated when Cindy (Mila Kunis), a vivacious con woman, starts working at his factory. He then unwisely seeks support for his troubles from his hare-brained bartender, Dean (Ben Affleck). The audience will delight as things in his life start to go down the tube at this point.
The amount of quality characters in this film alone makes it worth seeing. From the obnoxious female employees in the factory to Gene Simmons playing an over-the-top TV defense attorney, they all elicit laughs from the audience.
The great cast is combined with some well-written scenes that make up for a relatively anticlimactic plot. “Extract” amplifies the people and headaches from our everyday life to the point that we can’t help but find humor in the ridiculous nature of it all.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Mary Rochelle at Mary.Rochelle@colorado.edu.
