It's an interesting concept but Judge doesn't really do anything with it. In fact, Extract is a complete mess of a film where characters do things they would never do unless the plot required it. Motivations are garbled and characters inexplicably redeem themselves - only to lapse back into their awful behavior so the jokes are easier to construct. While none of the characters in Office Space or the criminally-overlooked Idiocracy were particularly smart or necessarily morally without question, at least they were likable with some redeeming characteristic. In Extract, there is zero likability among the whole lot of characters. Let alone smart. Not only would you not want to watch a movie about them, you wouldn't want to chit chat with any of them on the sidewalk. 

 

Joel (Jason Bateman) runs Reynolds Extract. It's a company he started from the ground-up. I suspect Judge used "extract" because it's a fake concoction bottled up to convince people that it's something real. Which is how Joel is presented: He looks successful and things appear to go well but, under the surface, he is unhappy. He hates his stupid employees. They do a variety of things that would get you or I fired but, because it helps the story's point that employees only exist to irritate their employers, they stay in place. Unbelievably, in some cases, they get promoted. There's also a potential merger poised to make him and his business partner (J.K. Simmons) millions. But a lawsuit by one of these stupid employees threatens to undermine such development. (It says volumes for this film that such a scenario, as presented, would never happen.) Joel also hates his marriage. He and his wife Suzie (played by <i>SNL</i>'s fantastic Kristin Wiig who has nothing to do here) lives in a gorgeous neighborhood in a big house. But is marriage is unfulfilled. Suzie doesn't seem like a bad person but, ultimately, Judge makes her do bad thing because that fits the film's motiff. Joel feels trapped. All the promise of money and success have gone nowhere. 

 

So what does he do? He listens to the advice of Dean (Ben Affleck), the bartender at a local sports bar. (Which, should look pathetic but looks 100% nicer than any awful sports bar in the lobby of a hotel so thus, that loses any satirical punch) Dean's advice consists of two constants - do drugs and cheat on your wife. Boiled simply like this, the advice is nothing a guy like Joel would take. With the details provided by Judge, not even an idiot would take the advice.

 

Details such as hiring a gigolo to seduce your wife so her affair will cheating seem less awful. On paper, maybe that sounds like good comedy. But here are the problems with this scenario: 1. There is nothing about Joel that would suggest that he wanted his wife to have an affair on him. 2. When she does, the audience does not believe it. Nothing presented about her character makes this affair remotely believable. 3. Joel wants to have an affair with Cindy (Mila Kunis), who is a temp at the factory but also turns out to be a con woman. Why a con woman? Who knows as this adds nothing to the main conflict of the story. The point being Judge doesn't even attempt to make the character a decent object of lustful desire. No one, even under duress or unhappiness, would ever do this. Joel does this because "Extract"'s script requires a ludicrous concept.

 

Judge tries to pile situation upon outrageous situation in hopes of coming up with something profound or interesting on the perspective on being in charge in the work place. With a ninety-minute run time, there is no way any filmmaker could add much insight to any or all of these situations. (I fail to mention his neighbor played by David Koechner who takes up too much time simply proving he is an annoying blabbermouth. But even this character does not deserve the resolution Judge latches onto him.) Why all of it fails is because Judge really doesn't have any sympathies with Joel. Despite Judge's real success in life, he's still a proletariat at heart. Judge wants to stick it to the Man, but then he wants us to feel sorry for him. Bateman may be a better actor than Ron Livingston - the dullard at the center of "Office Space" for which that film succeeded despite his lack of charisma - but even Bateman cannot overcome the contrivances and nastiness Judge creates as obstacles. Who wants to root for a rich guy with a nice house who commits adultery, does drugs without regard to consequence, and has a general disdain for everyone around him?

 

Not only do I not want to but I simply cannot. I am not sure Judge does, either. I am sure some of his more ardent supporters will say that is precisely the point and my scorn as an audience member is an intentional effect. If that is the case, then I say Judge succeed in theory. As far as watching an effecting and entertaining film, Judge has failed terribly.

  
One star (out of four)

 

Extract is rated R for language, sexual references and some drug use.