User Reviews

"Extract" works well with a majority of its audience. Reason is clear...the cast is very good, story is not boring or cheap; comedy is neither vulgar nor downright stupid; at ~90 minutes it doesn't bore anyone and it has a happy ending!!! Cast wise, a very good job. Jason Bateman plays the sex-deprived businessman role very well. Mila Kunis looks hot throughout the movie and that's exactly what her character was all about. Ben Affleck has a small but a very funny role. JK Simmons hardly does anything wrong about his acting. Others are good in their context.

The best thing about "Extract" is that the humor is maintained throughout the movie. It's neither cheap vulgar comedy nor downright stupid comedy. The comedy is an elaborate mix of these two poles and that's why this movie is like able. All the characters seem to be performing on a high wire and carry themselves very naturally. There is never a dull moment taking into account the short running time. Besides, the soundtrack is so cool. Really lovely songs.

Overall, "Extract" is a good movie. Can't say it's a very good movie, but still I can guarantee few smiles for sure.

My Verdict: 7/10

In some sideways alternate universe I'd like to believe Mike Judge is a Judd Apatow or an Edgar Wright, which is to say a modern comedy director whose upcoming projects are actually followed with any degree of anticipation. Of his two previous live-action films, "Office Space," for its flaws, has a special place in my heart and I appreciated "Idiocracy" more than most. So along comes "Extract," a subtle, straightforward comedy about the little things in life. You know, inane neighbors, workplace politics, sexual frustration, male gigolos, and horse tranquilizers.

Okay, maybe it's not all that subtle, but "Extract" is less boisterous than Judge's previous films while retaining their biting, sardonic banter and oddly believable caricatures. Probably the reason the director's work hasn't caught on with mainstream audiences is that their stories and characters are always paramount to their gag writing, which in turn gives them a comparatively low joke-per-minute ratio.

The plot itself isn't as interesting or ambitious as "Office Space" or "Idiocracy" respectively, but the terrific casting and low-key performances keep "Extract" charming even when its story falters. Particular scenes and sequences sag around the middle of the film, and the plot lines never dovetail as well as they probably could, but the narrative, while simple, is strong enough to shield the film from ever becoming an outright bore.

Judge's respect for his storytelling transcends the temptation to pack the film with gimmicky gags or disposable pop culture references, which is refreshing in comparison to the blisteringly unfunny and now highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time, sequel green-lit, "The Hangover." Jason Bateman of "Arrested Development" fame returns as another corporate mogul, though of considerably less affluence than Michael Bluth, and the role, unsurprisingly, fits like a glove. It's not exactly a retread for the actor either, who exhibits an empathetic vulnerability that hasn't existed in his previous roles.

"Extract's" Joel Reynolds is an interesting antithesis to Michael Bluth in that he offers a completely opposite take on the pragmatic modern businessman. Michael is a man who assumes his hardest work has yet to come, where Joel considers his dues paid, and at the outset of the film, is looking to sell his plant and embrace an early retirement. Joel is indicative of Mike Judge's greater analysis of the American working class, and reminiscent also, though not in a derivative sense, of Peter, the protagonist of "Office Space," in that both characters long for a life outside of the workplace. Michael Bluth wants to work; Mike Judge's characters have to work.

The rest of the cast, including Mila Kunis as a con-woman catalyst, J.K. Simmons as name- challenged manager, and Ben Affleck as a worldly hipster doofus, all perform admirably. "Extract" is its cast, and there isn't a bad performance in the bunch.

Judge's latest is a film that really needs to be taken on its own merits. It's a warm, entertaining if unambitious film that may not be as funny as some expect, but is never unfunny, if that makes any sense.

If you're not laughing, it's because the film isn't trying to make you laugh, which is almost a foreign concept in modern comedy and sure to leave some audiences cold. That being said, there isn't much reason to rush out and see the film either. If you're interested in something (somewhat) more mature when "The Hangover 2" hits theaters, "Extract" will make a pretty good rental.

This film is about an extract factory owner who encounters problems with his family life and in the work place.

Though the delivery of the film is a little flat, the plot does offers engaging moments that makes viewers care for the characters. Though "Extract" is marketed as a comedy, it is not a film that makes you laugh out loud. Instead, it makes you smile when you appreciate Joel's series of unfortunate situations. Many scenes give just the imagery of what is happening, but does not spell it out. For example, the two shots of the wife tying her trousers gives viewers an idea what is being conveyed, in such a subtle manner that is seldom found in comedies. Some people may think "Extract" is a bore, but I do not think so.

I have seen it twice now. Sometimes a movie can be reasonably funny the first time, but isnt worth seeing a second time. Fortunately the second time around "Extract" still held it's ground and was as funny as during the first viewing. That is always a good sign, because it means that the dialogues are witty and true to life.

"Extract" is a tongue in cheek comedy, some jokes are right in your face, but most jokes are just funny because of the behaviour of people and the conflicts they get into.

Let's take the main character played by Jason Bateman for example: he hasnt got the privacy to masturbate in his own house. And he HAS to masturbate because his wife Kirsten Wigg only has sex with him once in every 3 months!

He complains about his wife's (Kristen Wiigss) headaches in bed to his friend Ben Affleck. Ben Affleck advises him to have an affair. But just to relieve himself of any guilt he must first make sure his wife has an affair too. What happens next is both hilarious AND endearing.

Bateman carefully balances between humor, grumpiness and everyday relationship boredom, which will be easily recognizable for any (struggling) adult out there...

It is a slow burner story, with a lot of (superb) whining. But I loved it. I didnt burst out in laughter all the time, it is more kinda amusing to see Jason Bateman complaining about his wife's headaches and finding ways to masturbate in the house without his wife finding out about it. Lovely supporting roles of Mila Kunis, amongst others...

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.

I went in to see this movie with pretty low expectations after having read the tepid reviews here and seeing the film only got 63% on rotten tomatoes. I was really pleasantly surprised! First of all, Jason Bateman is awesome and his strength and performance really carry this film. There are a couple of memorable supporting characters but for the most part I felt the actors playing the supporting characters could have been better. Ben Affleck is amusing. Kristen Wiig is a great foil for Jason Bateman.

The story is fairly simple but eventful and effective. I laughed out loud several times. The running time is perfect at 90 minutes. Overall, my husband and I loved this movie and were very entertained. I recommend it.

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.

Mike Judge has a knack for creating memorable characters. Once again he has put together characters that a lot of people can easily relate to, and that is the strong point of "Extract". What is missing here is an outrageous script like "Idiocracy". Jason Bateman plays a very sympathetic boss of an extract company, and as his troubles mount with his wife and business, you sincerely feel for the poor guy. Unfortunately, "Extract", while well acted, featuring some very colorful characters, lacks the bite of "Office Space" or "Idiocracy" If you go in expecting hilarious, you will be disappointed, but if you look beyond his previous films, the movie might be better appreciated. - MERK

Mike Judge creator of the cult classic "Office Space" well-captured the unpleasantries and indignities of both corporate life and chain restaurant work. Judge attempts to apply the same bitter vibe to the experience of management instead of labor and produces a painfully tedious, funny-free 92 minutes. Jason Bateman plays a mopey, ineffectual, sex-starved husband who incongruously hand-built the successful, fictional, Reynolds extract manufacturing company. Unlike wealthy real entrepreneurs, Bateman's character spends all of his free time hanging out at a hotel bar with Ben Affleck wildly miscast as an aging stoner. Bateman and Affleck engage in dialogue so dull it is clear to the audience that they are struggling just to keep the energy up until the end of the scene. Mila Kunis plays a thief and conwoman with no other character development beyond just those two facts; according to the movie, swindling men takes nothing more than displaying small areas of modest cleavage. There is also a sub-plot about a gigolo hired by Bateman's character who easily seduces his frigid wife but this also goes nowhere much like any attempt to move the moribund plot forward. In short, the anger Judge judged teen life in "Beavis & Butthead" and cubicle culture in "Office Space" is on display perhaps somewhat diluted by his own success but the humor and keen social observation certainly is not. Hey Beavis, heh, heh, heh, this movie, like, sucks!

I love Jason Bateman, so I catch any film he's in. This one is "Extract," a Mike Judge film from 2009.

Joel is the owner of an extract manufacturing plant. He's not having an easy time of it. His wife (Kristen Wiig) won't have sex with him because he gets home too late, so he is constantly trying to get home before he puts on the sweat pants - because then it's over. He never makes it, and on the day that he almost makes it, he is stopped by the world's most talkative neighbor (David Koechner) who wants to see if Joel and his wife will attend the Rotary Club dinner. Meanwhile, Joel has taken advice from a drug addict as to how to prove if his wife was faithful, so she's now sleeping with someone she thinks is the pool man.

That's on the personal front. Then his floor manager is seriously injured in a machine accident and it looks like a big lawsuit. His new employee, Cindy, is a scam artist, and is encouraging the injured man to soak the company dry.

Joel had an offer to sell the company which, with the lawsuit, may not happen. Does he even want to sell? Does he want his marriage? He doesn't know, but he'd better find out.

Comedy movies with wacky characters in wacky situations is my favorite thing. With a little more tightening, this movie could have been hilarious. As it is, it's amusing, but maybe there are one too many things going on.

Still, the performances are good, and it has some very funny situations.

Greetings again from the darkness. Not sure if this was a social experiment by Mike Judge to see if his work can be successful whether it's funny or not, but one thing is certain ... this one is not very funny.

What looked to be a spoof on small business (as compared to cubicle life in Office Space) turned out to be a bunch of short skits more related to marital frustrations. Jason Bateman runs the extract factory and is married to the always great Kristin Wiig, who works at home as a "coupon designer". Though they live in a mcmansion, they have drifted apart in their relationship ... blah, blah, blah. Seen it a million times and NOBODY CARES.

When the scheming Mila Kunis sees a way to score big, she lands a job at the factory and flirts a bit with Bateman - doesn't take much these days to get him excited. At the same time, she has at least one other scheme in place ... anyway, the best thing here is the commentary on how cute girls can influence the idiot male species into doing things they wouldn't usually do.

Ben Affleck is totally miscast (is that redundant??) as the drug-toting, bartending, life philosopher to whom Bateman looks to for advice. Really? A successful businessman would turn to this stunted growth doofus for advice on anything more than what martini to order? The best parts of the film are the (very) few scenes that take place on the floor of the factory. This is where the real interesting and funny story could have been with just a bit more effort from Mr. Judge. I will say the stuff with Gene Simmons as Joe Adler (the similarities to Jim Adler can't be missed) are funny. Otherwise, I feel let down - like this one was rushed through production off the strength of The Hangover (though not even close to that level). We expect more from you Mr. Judge.

That's the movie. I mean it's ok, I was entertained. However, for a 90 minuet film, it shure did drag on. Some of the characters well, most of the characters are pretty one dimensional. It's no office space.

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.

I love this odd comedy, the dialogue is great to me and I crave that it's by Mike Judge! Extract is good fun if you don't let the slapstick humor bother you. The sweatpants thing is great, one of the managers calls people dingus I love that and everything with Ben Affleck is glorious! Something about this movie is so much fun I could watch it plenty. Jason Bateman is a gold mine in anything I like his personality.

I claim that my review is unbiased simply because I didn't know anything about the director. I read all the negative reviews and see that people are frustrated because they compare it to his earlier works which are supposedly funnier.I must confess that I didn't know anything about the director, The Office Space, etc. That's why I had no expectations. I didn't expect this movie to be funny either. OK, so it is not funny in a way like a comedy sit com is funny, jokes are not laughable. This movie has dark humor; it is situations and what happens to people that makes it comical and even tragic.

Main character, Joel, is the owner of an extract factory that he built from scratch with hard work. He is having some marital problems; his wife is not having sex with him anymore. In the meantime, a young, attractive temp, Cindy, gets hired as an employee. Joel turns to his bartender friend, Dean (a very comical role by Ben Affleck) for advice who talks him into hiring an amateur young stud, Brad, to seduce Joel's wife. If his wife gives into temptation then it is only fair for him to do the same, a seemingly logical way to guilt-free cheating.

I really enjoyed this movie and it somewhat reminded me of American Beauty (maybe because it was about problems of classic suburban families). It successfully portrays flaws of people, such as prejudice, sexual temptation, addiction, greed, ambition, career aspirations, and being intrusive, and most of all, miscommunication. I am really sorry that people didn't enjoy this as much as I did. If you can view this without any expectations you may find that is a quite remarkable film and definitely deserves a rating higher than 7.

This is a dry comedy and not in a good way either, I guess it tries to be witty but it really isn't. It wasn't a unbearable comedy, but that isn't to say it's one of the good ones either. None of the jokes aren't even that funny, the most I got out of it is a few smirks and for that I give the movie some credit. It's even more disappointing because it's directed by Mike Judge who made some great and witty comedies in the past. I have no idea how this movie even made it into theaters, I am not even sure if it's worth renting. Some parts of this movie does make it sort of likable, but that is about it. In fact the movie's humor sort of felt like a very less funny version of "The Office" although I like the Office. And lot of elements in this movie just wasn't focused and the script was pretty dull. On one more positive note, it did have it's moments although very few, I guess I just expected better. Just was waiting for something interesting to happen but that never really happened either. From looking at some reviews, the movie has it's target audiences it just wasn't the comedy I enjoyed watching all that much.

4.8/10

Extract stars Jason Bateman as Joel, a successful businessman who sells flavours. He works hard in his factory which is full of oddball employees, most of them seem to be lazy or inept but Joel knows them all by their first names and his door is always open.

Despite his success, Joel has an unsatisfactory sex life, his wife Suzie (Kristen Wiig) never seems to be in the mood. His neighbour always bothers him.

Joel is tempted to stray when a beautiful temp is hired Cindy (Mila Kunis) who is really a thief and a con woman. She plans to befriend an injured employee who lost a testicle in a freak accident at the factory and persuade him to go for a big money lawsuit.

Things get worse when his best buddy Dean (Ben Affleck) gives him drugs that impairs his judgment and he agrees to hire a gigolo to sleep with his wife to find out if she really is cheating on him.

The film is written and directed by Mike Judge (creator of Beavis & Butt-Head) but it lacks a wild anarchic streak. It is simply amiable as Bateman is master in playing the harassed straight guy who life is on the verge of falling apart.

However some of it just does not get anywhere. Why does his wife Suzie get the hots for the dim gigolo? Wiig is wasted, she tries to explain to Bateman why she avoided having sex with him but the director has lost interest and moves away from the subject.

When the factory is at risk because of the impending lawsuit, you think surely the insurers would be dealing with this?

The film lacks big laughs, it goes for awkward characterisation but it does not really work.

Judge's 'Extract' is intended to be an oddball comedy but as a whole it doesn't work in its entirety. The situations are repetitive. Some of the characters are out of place (some of them lack development) and there is a lot of randomness and all these elements would have worked in a different kind of comedy that for example, had more slapstick and less dry humour. Yet, even though the situations don't fit as a whole, some sequences do draw some chuckles. Jason Bateman does an excellent job. Ben Affleck surprises the viewer with a comedic performance. Even though his character is barely likable, he does make one laugh. Kirsten Wiig is criminally underused but she does manage to stand out in her scenes. Mila Kunis is out of place (mostly due to the character given which is an ill fit). Clifton Collins Jr. is very good. Overall, it's not such a bad movie for a one time watch but it's hardly anything memorable.

Extract is the new comedy which is written and directed by Mike Judge from who made some films that weren't too successful such as Office Space and Idiocracy. They have both became cult hits on DVD but they were both flops when they were originally released. I loved these films just because of how truly hilarious they are. You can imagine that Extract would be no different.

The basic plot is about Jason Bateman's character who owns a factory where they make Extract and he wants to sell it. After an accident occurs, the company might get sued which would bankrupt them and he wouldn't be able to sell the company. There's a subplot involving Jason Bateman having problems with his wife not sleeping with him played by Kristen Wiig from SNL, so Ben Affleck who plays his bartender friend convinces him to hire a gigalo to sleep with his wife, so that he could cheat on his wife with Mila Kunis's character, guilt-free. We also know that she's a con artist who is trying to get the company sued.

The plot of this movie is quite a mess. Some parts could have definitely been cut down and others could have been expanded on for this to be a much more effective comedy. I thought anything involving the gigalo was hilarious and that includes the actor who played the gigalo and Ben Affleck. Both of their deliveries really help to sell their lines and most of the times that I would laugh in the film it would be to these two. J.K. Simmons was also very funny as one of the factory workers who couldn't remember anyone's name.

I still think that Mila Kunis didn't even have to be in the movie and she just expanded the plot. She could have at least had a smaller part involved more in the gigalo plot rather than a whole other subplot about her blackmailing the company. If we would have seen more of everything else, it would have been a stronger movie.

Jason Bateman was basically just playing the straight man. Also I thought that David Koechner played the part of the annoying neighbour perfectly. Every time he was on screen, it looked like he was making everyone uncomfortable and I was constantly cracking up at that even there wasn't anything too funny about his lines. Him and Ben Affleck probably made me laugh the hardest.

I don't think Extract can actually be called hilarious, in fact it's even somewhat disappointing for a Mike Judge comedy. I have to admit that it was very funny, but it was probably more amusing than hilarious. It's just not going to be groundbreaking like Office Space was. It does work as an interest companion piece to Office Space but it is no where near the quality.

I have to give Extract a 7.5/10. It was very funny, but it had the potential to be better. Still, this is a slight recommendation or at least a rental and it is still worth seeing because it's still far better than some of the other comedies that are coming out these days.

"OK, so I'm a bit of a character." Dean (Ben Affleck)

Just mention King of the Hill, Beavis and Butthead, or Office Space from creator Mike Judge and you'll get reactions of awe for his "characters"-- their iconoclastic, offbeat humor. The setup of Extract is eccentric enough to fit those social comedies: an artificial flavoring factory filled with oddball assembly workers and an accident where one of them loses a testicle.

But writer/director Judge can't fully match the promise of the premise as he tailors only a few scenes to his brash humor: for example, three men on a bong is smart on several levels, especially the timing and Jason Bateman's laid-back factory-owner Joel, who doesn't fit the smoking scene but whose droll responses to Ben Affleck's New -Age bartender are quite funny.

Bateman's everyman persona holds the cast and story together as well as he can in spite of the many slow scenes and repetitious comedic bits such as the nerdy neighbor (David Koechner), who appears too many times in an annoying bit about The Rotary Club, and the testicle motif.

Underneath the shallow humor lies a commentary worth attention—the plight of the factory workers waiting for a company to be sold with few places for them to go. Seen from management's point of view, they are racist slackers who can compromise their own well-being by damaging production at will. With the humorous daily shenanigans of those line workers halting production for various petty jealousies and intrigues, Extract is not a bad commentary on the vicissitudes of factory life for management and workers.

Joel's vacant sex life--his wife, Suzie (Kirsten Wiig) is not responsive-- heightens the social commentary concerning the trade offs of the American dream that needs tending 24/7. But I stretch to make something out of the weak end of summer film fare. Extract is simply an extract of the larger comedic genre which will have to wait for fall to be adequately seasoned.

I hope.

Joel (Jason Bateman) is the plant owner that makes an Extract flavoring. He has a cold unsatisfying marriage. His workers are a bunch of buffoons. Cindy (Mila Kunis) is a thieving con artist. When he sees a news report of Step (Clifton Collins Jr.) losing a testicle in a plant accident. She sees a possibility to makes some money.

I love Mike Judge's slacker office movie 'Office Space'. He may be trying to transfer it to the factory floor. It's too stupid and unreal. 'Office Space' was exaggerated but there was an air of possibility. This movie has no connection to reality. And Jason Bateman is too unlikeable, too weak, and too whinny. Every once in a while, the movie hits on a funny note, but it could never be carried through. The office world and the factory world aren't the same thing.