Idiocracy

Idiocracy, meaning rule of the stupid, is a dystopian film from Director Mike Judge (Office Space) that cost about $30 million to make but only made about half a million dollars because the film's distributor wanted nothing to do with promoting the film. There were no advertisements, no trailers, and the film was eventually released on just 130 screens in a limited amount of American cities. The film is written by successful veterans, stars some solid talent, and the CGI effects and art direction were likely not inexpensive. Unlike most films that a distributor ignores, Idiocracy was well-received by critics and I will echo here that it is indeed a very good satire. The distributor was of course Fox and they were likely embarrassed to release a film that does what any good dystopian tale does, and that is strongly denounce the self-destructive culture we currently live in and continue to facilitate.

Joe Bauers (Luke Wilson) is the military's most average soldier. He is literally tested to be of average intelligence, health, etc. Rita (Maya Rudolph) is a prostitute who is seemingly always fearful of her pimp Upgraydd. They are both selected as guinea pigs for a classified program that aims to place them in hibernation for one year. They are put into coffin-like chambers and forgotten about after the program dissolves. They are left there for 500 years until they awaken after their chambers are forced open by the great garbage avalanche of 2505. The setting they exist in is a low-intelligence society influenced by dysgenics, cultural and moral devolution, and powerful corporate influence and consumerism. Starbucks and Costco have basically become brothels. Crops are fed with Gatorade because of, you know, the electrolytes. Doctors diagnose people as "tarded". The president is an alpha-male nationalist and former professional wrestler/porn star. A museum shows that Charlie Chaplin was leader of the Nazi party who fought using dinosaurs in their army but was eventually "Un-Nazied" by the "Un" (the United Nations). There are some more vulgar and hilarious ways in which corporations evolve to satisfy the ever decreasing intelligence of our society that I'd like to mention but can't. Finally, average soldier Joe Bauer is tested to be the most intelligent human being on Earth in 2505 and the rest of the story centers on his development in this environment. There are also some really interesting supporting roles from Thomas Haden Church and Justin Long, among others.

There are a few production flaws and at times some clunky dialogue, but really those are just nitpickings. Idiocracy is at times absolutely hilarious and it manages to make its point throughout. I think with many dystopian films people get offended by the societal criticism. However, I was encouraged by the truth within the satire here and enjoyed the film tremendously. If you find yourself angry just reading the movie summary in this review then I wouldn't necessarily recommend watching Idiocracy.

Hilarious movie by mike judge (creator of Beavis and butthead). The parallels between real life and this movie are disturbing. The stupid and fertile will inherit the earth and mike judge proves that beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Mike Judge hit comic gold with "Office Space," a satire of dilberty office workers. It became a deserving cult hit.

Now he tries for a broader kind of satire -- the dumbing down of America, which nobody can deny if they've looked at test scores. "Idiocracy" is weird, crude, and a lot smarter than virtually any other movie released in the past year...

The Pentagon is preparing a special hibernation project, so it can "save" its best soldiers for wartime. As a test subject, they select Joe (as in "average") Bowers (Luke Wilson), who is the absolute average of average. Along with a prostitute named Rita (Maya Rudolph) he is put into hibernation for one year.... except then the program gets shut down, and they are forgotten.

Joe wakes up five hundred years in the future, only to find that mankind has changed radically. Well, maybe not so much. Turns out that welfare caused the trash hordes to reproduce a lot faster than the intellectuals. The path of evolution was thrown off. Now Rita and Joe find that they, the average, are the smartest people on the whole planet. God help them.

First off, don't expect a retread of "Office Space." This is not "Office Space." It never tries to be "Office Space."

This is Judge being cruder, ruder and more cynical, with jibes at welfare, blockbuster movies, dumbed-down speech, corporate logos, government, hillbillies, and corporate megastores. It's even got a TV show called "Ow, My Balls," which involves.... well, you can guess what it involves.

What isn't immediately obvious is that this humor exists to satirize itself. We do have shows like "Jackass" (which would be high art in "Uh-merica"), after all. Judge is winking and double-winking all the time, as he slathers "Idiocracy" in his over-the-top, cynical art. And you know what? It's hysterically funny, and gets more so once you've seen it more than once.

And it's got a pretty scary theme. "Survival of the fittest" has been overturned by the forces of stupidity? Well, I've encountered people on the same intellectual level as the Uhmericans of the future, and I find the idea terrifying. But that terror also makes you think about the dumbing-down of society... and not many satires can do that.

The plot tends to meander somewhat, as Joe and Rita get acquainted with the people of the future. Fortunately the movie does stay afloat, and Rudolph and Wilson are quite funny as the "straight men" to a planet that is one big joke.

The idea of a world populated by the descendents of Britney Spears is enough to make most people break out in cold sweats. And that's what "Idiocracy" does... right before it makes you laugh yourself sick.