Laugh Factory

Ten years after "Office Space" became a cultural touchstone for cubicle warriors the world over, and after a brief detour into absurdity with 2006's unwatchable "Idiocracy" (the film's wit ended with its title), Mike Judge returns to form with the workplace comedy "Extract". In the film, Jason Bateman plays Joel, the owner and operator of a flavor extract factory. Joel is a working stiff with a typical Mike Judge problem: he's not gettin' any at home. If Joel doesn't make it home from work by 8pm, his wife (SNL's Kristin Wiig, successfully playing it straight) cinches the waist on her sweatpants into an impenetrable bow, making the prospect of hanky-panky a nonstarter. Joel spends most nights at a local watering hole, where long-haired bartender Dean (Ben Affleck, relaxing behind a shaggy wig) dispenses drinks with a side of bad advice and, occasionally, drugs.

The plot is set in motion with the arrival of Cindy, Mila Kunis ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall"), a pretty young intern who also happens to be a sociopathic kleptomaniac. You may have noticed that women are not painted in the best light in the film. The gender's only representatives are either psycho, cold or, in the case of Beth Grant's line worker, shrill bigots. The misogyny is a bit discomforting, especially considering that the plot involves Joel's attempt to pay-off a young stud to seduce his wife thereby allowing him to have a guilt-free affair with Cindy. But somehow, in Mr. Judge's capable comedic hands, it works without seeming creepy. Firstly, you can't blame Joel; it's all Dean's idea. Plus, Joel had accidentally taken a horse tranquilizer with his whiskey. All that, and I didn't even mention the guy who loses a testicle in a freak factory accident that would make the "The Final Destination" folks proud. Oh, and J.K. Simmons is excellent, as always.

A lot is made of the dialogue of screenwriters like Kevin Smith, Quentin Tarantino or Diablo Cody. But Mr. Judge does "real" realer than the showy verbal calisthenics trafficked by his colleagues. In "Extract" his writing feels as relaxed as it's ever been. He's not trying to prove anything (as he was with "Idiocracy"). He just lets his characters be. And he does have a knack for characters. The film is full of classic Judge "types" like the impossibly talkative neighbor (David Koechner) and the guy who only calls people by nicknames like "Dingus" and "Boy Genius" (Mr. Simmons).

But this is Joel's film. And in Jason Bateman, Mr. Judge may have found his perfect leading man. No one does exhausted exasperation like Mr. Bateman. After honing that skill to a fine point on TV's much-mourned "Arrested Development" (even this film's poster is reminiscent of that show's DVD box art), Mr. Bateman has created a significant career in supporting roles ("State of Play", "Juno"). Here, standing front-and-center, he walks away with the film. He can get a laugh from a wordless reaction shot like a pro. It's good to see him getting the spotlight. He also participates in one of the funnier pot smoking scenes I can remember.

Interestingly, and despite the film's title, the flavor industry itself isn't played for laughs. And that's indicative of Mr. Judge's skill. When the writer-director is at his best, he doesn't snicker at his subjects, he empathizes with them; the humor comes from the absurdity inherent in their situation. And while Mr. Judge may not understand factory life as well as office life, "Extract" has enough laughs to make it a comedy worth seeing. It's not likely to reach the cult heights of "Office Space", but it's sure to satisfy if you're looking for that certain Mike Judge flavor.