Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

Mike Judge can't seem to get a break when it comes to the big screen. The guy has been wildly successful with his animated TV efforts ("Beavis and Butthead," "King of the Hill"). His movie projects, on the other hand, belly flop in theaters, only to garner a cult following once each title hits the home video market. We're expecting the same for Extract.

In the same vein as his masterpiece, Office Space, Judge uses Extract to go back to the workplace. However, instead of another Lumbergh, we have Joel Reynold (Jason Bateman), a maker and lover of flavored extracts. Despite how exciting his day job sounds, his nightlife is no picnic either. He's in a crappy marriage to Suzie (Kristen Wiig) and his best friend is a stoner bartender named Dean (a hilarious Ben Affleck).

The film then gets a little added flavor when an accident at the plant causes a worker to lose a testicle. When a lawsuit arises, Joel's plant could be next on the chopping block, if lawyer Gene Simmons (yes, that Gene Simmons) has his way.

Perhaps a little dalliance with a hot con artist (Mila Kunis) could give Joel's life the jolt that it needs -- if he could actually get his wife to cheat first.

Sound confusing? It's pretty darn entertaining, actually. On the Judge brilliance scale, this one lies somewhere in between Office Space and Judge's last screen effort, Idiocracy. In other words, it shouldn't take long for this one to find its own following. It helps that Bateman channels his Arrested Development character Michael Bluth. Also, there are a ton of other notable actors, most notably Affleck, Clifton Collins Jr., and David Koechner.

Need to taste a little more of the film? Check out Joe Lozito's theatrical review of Extract.

The Picture

Overall, this 1.85:1 transfer is a bit underwhelming for Blu-ray. Gene Simmons is still a little too lifelike for us, but the rest of the film seems lacking. The images in the factory aren't as strong as they could be. Instead, it appears a bit soft without much detail. Fleshtones are fair, but frankly, Kunis could look gorgeous in a hail storm. The other colors are pretty good, both in and outside the plant. Black levels, however, are all over the place throughout the film.

The Sound

Despite a plethora of opportunities for background noise, this DTS-HD Master Audio track sticks pretty close to the front. Most of the movie takes place in the warehouse or in a bar. How can there not be more surround action? There's a few bottles clinking and some chatter, but we were just expecting a little more considering the film's busy backdrop.

The Extras

Whenever Mike Judge speaks, we listen. Maybe it's because the guy is interesting. Maybe it's because when we close our eyes, we can see Hank Hill. We could listen to the director all day. Unfortunately, that's not an option since he only gets 11 minutes to highlight the film's production. It's worth a peek -- especially since that's basically it. A few extended scenes and one measly deleted scene is all that's left in the set. Were Judge, Bateman and Affleck unavailable to do a commentary? We would have waited for that one.

Final Thoughts

This edition of Extract doesn't quite have the secret sauce we were hoping for. However, considering its take at the box office, we're guessing there's no special edition in the works. Still, how can you say no to a movie that could end up a cult classic? Feel free to buy this one on the film's merits alone, but don't expect much from the Blu-ray.

Product Details

• Actors: Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, J.K. Simmons, Clifton Collins Jr., David Koechner, Gene Simmons
• Director: Mike Judge
• Audio/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (French)
• Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Region: A
• Number of Discs: 1
• Rating: R
• Studio: Miramax Films
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: December 22, 2009
• Run Time: 92 minutes
• List Price: $39.99
• Extras:
  • Mike Judge's Secret Recipe
  • Extended Scenes
  • Deleted Scene