Extract: Not Quite Office Space

I finally got to see Extract.


Bottom line: this is a funny movie. *This is an enjoyable rental. *Ben Affleck is the greatest supporting actor of our generation. *Jason Bateman continues to impress by being absolutely brilliant as the everyman with the slightest of movements around his eyes and in his choices. *Mike Judge writes and directs strong and full characters once again.




**Something didn't quite work.


What?... I'm not exactly sure.


It could have been the expectations of Mike Judge as he continuously walks in his own created shadow of the highly quotable and BEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME... Office Space. That will sometimes do it.


I think it might have something to do with the fact that the plot is not nearly as innocent. It plays like the continuation of Office Space. The world is set up well, the characters are hilarious and consistently dragging each other into situations over their head, but it's dealing with cons, adultery, drugs, and some female characters that just aren't likable. Ultimately, this ruins the "escape the mundane" aspect that Office Space played off of, which in turn takes away the existential comedy of the situation.


It's hard to be existential when the situation is as terrible as the characters perceive.


Extract probably shouldn't be compared to Office Space, but Judge makes it really hard not to. There are parallel characters and plot elements, and the fact that it's dealing with the work environment like no other films really tend to do - makes the comparison inescapable. And there, is possibly where the movie ultimately fails. Fail is too strong of a word. Rephrase:


There is where the film ultimately shows why it didn't succeed in theaters or on DVD the way Office Space did, or the way the studios probably thought it might.


Rent with no expectations... and when the kids are in bed = have a good time.