Miramax Films
92 min., dir. by Mike Judge, with Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, and Ben Affleck

With “King of the Hill” coming to a close after a long run of 13 seasons, fans of Mike Judge had little time to mourn the end of the Hill family’s adventures when the animation icon released his fourth feature film the same month. Although Hank and the gang are being shoved aside to make way for “The Cleveland Show,” Judge’s latest directorial effort Extract proves he still has many more laughs to share with us yet.

Extract, like Judge’s 1999 film Office Space, centers around the on-goings and mishaps of the American workplace. But instead of examining the comedy within an office cubicle, Judge goes from white collar to blue and brings us inside a crazy character-filled extract factory. The owner, Joel (Jason Bateman), would love to sell the business and get it (and the employees who drive him nuts) out of his hands. But just when this goal seems to be within grasp, an accident injures a member of his workforce and attracts the attention of seductive con artist, Cindy (Mila Kunis). But even with a possible bankrupting settlement looming over him, Joel is more concerned with his problems at home, including a half-baked scheme to hire a gigolo to tempt his neglecting wife (Kristen Wiig) into having an affair so that he may do the same free of guilt. Who said being the boss was easy?

You might be thinking the film in general seems all too familiar, since you could describe the misadventures of Peter Gibbons from Office Space in the exact same way as Extract’s Joel: a man is dissatisfied with his work and life so he hatches an undeveloped plan that naturally backfires. And although you could say Mike Judge is simply reworking an old formula, like Joel’s mastery of flavor chemistry, it is a formula that always leaves a great taste in your mouth.

This is greatly due to Judge’s ability to consistently cast perfect actors for their particular roles. Like the unforgettable Michael Bolton, Samir, and Milton Waddams, the cast of Judge films never fail to turn potential archetypes into unique characters. Clifton Collins, Jr., who you may recognize from his exceptionally powerful portrayal of Perry Smith in 2005’s Capote, gets to show his lighter side as the dimwitted Step, a loyal (but easily manipulated) employee who falls under the influence of the scheming Cindy. And while Mila Kunis’s turn as Cindy is slightly bland and underdeveloped, other characters pick up the slack, like the often frazzled Brian, Joel’s second in command played by Bateman’s fellow Juno alum, JK Simmons. And even though Joel does not have to answer to a Bill Lumbergh, he gets his fair share of annoyance from his unbelievably overbearing and irritating neighbor, Nathan, played masterfully by David Koechner (Anchorman, Snakes on a Plane).

But the best performance was produced from a very surprising source. Rising above his veteran co-stars and completely stealing the show with a totally unexpected but incredibly funny performance is none other than Ben Affleck. Affleck, who I don’t remember laughing at (for the right reason) since 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, received the pleasure of delivering the best lines of the film with absolute comedic perfection. As Dean, the longhaired, drug abusing bartender friend of Joel, Affleck fills the shoes of Peter Gibbon’s goofy neighbor, Lawrence, providing the biggest laughs of the film. In one fell swoop, Ben Affleck will make you completely forget (at least, for the duration of the movie) that he is the same actor who starred in Surviving Christmas, Jersey Girl, Paycheck, Gigli, and Pearl Harbor. No, really. He’s that good in this.

Jason Bateman himself has been quoted for saying he felt like he was just replaying Michael Bluth from his old TV show, “Arrested Development.” So if you’re going into your first viewing of the film expecting any ground to broken or boundaries to be crossed, your disappointment will be inevitable. But if amusingly smart dialogue, reality reflecting subject matter, and hilarious performances from some of the best names in the comedy game are what you seek, you will have made the right choice. Extract will most certainly extract some laughs.