Positive Experience/Entertaining? Oh man is it ever!

Technically any good?While the special effects were uneven, the storytelling is brisk and the editing keeps it moving. The acting is spot-on: Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, and Dax Shepard make simple choices and refrain from bogging the story down. Other character actors go the whole nine yards and put their heart and soul into being brainless. Real but over-the-top.

How did it leave me feeling? Okay, here we go: Having just seen a midnight showing of the movie here in Los Angeles (thanks Santa Monica Nuart Theater!) I must say that this will go down in the history books as one of the most interesting, unique, inventive and funny movies of the decades. SHAME ON 20TH CENTURY FOX for not taking the time to advertise and distribute it!!!

But I can understand why they wouldn’t distribute it - the movie takes an unquestioning jab at everything FOX and channels like FOX NEWS stands for. Mike Judge takes a truly satirical look at the future of humankind- a “what if” of extraordinary proportions in which the idiots of the world outpopulate those with higher IQ’s. The corporate mentality, melded with assembly-line automation technology, create a world in which stupidity is basically tube-fed to survive. They’re basically left to their own to do mindless work and then sit at home watching T.V. Sounds familiar? Or do you think that’s a strange premise? Can’t visualize it? Mike Judge made it happen in a wonderfully inventive and frightening way.

The social commentary is incredibly witty and hilarious. Those who actually watch for the details will be stunned by the intelligent nuances mixed in with the “dumb” humor. But even the “dumb” humor is made specifically to comment on our own seeming fascination with fart humor, sex, and jackass entertainment. I don’t quite understand some reviews that call the jokes “bathroom” humor. They don’t get it.

This will soon become a cult classic, under-the-radar fare. I was laughing hysterically at this movie. I wanted them to hit rewind so I could watch it again then and there. It’s coming out on DVD early January, and I’m excited to get it, buy it for my family (all stupid and intelligent members), and hold a screening to introduce it to those who never heard of it or who didn’t get to see it in theaters (ONCE AGAIN SHAME ON YOU 20th CENTURY!!!).

“Welcome to CostCo. I Love You.”

Final Rating? GSN - any way you can!

And here’s a great latimes.com article by Pat Morrison about it!