Customer Reviews

Office Space: Special Edition with Flair (Widescreen Edition)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If they made a live-action "Dilbert" movie, it might resemble "Office Space" -- a hysterically funny office film by Mike Judge (of "Beavis & Butthead" fame). Filled with quirky characters and a hilarious employee rebellion, this is a movie for anyone who ever felt trapped in a soul-destroying job.

Peter (Ron Livingston) spends every day in a cubicle, doing pointless work under the thumb of his smarmy boss. His life is boring, and he doesn't even have the confidence to tell the pretty waitress (Jennifer Aniston) that he likes her. In an effort to relax, he accompanies his controlling girlfriend to a hypnosis session. Unfortunately, the hypnotist dies of a heart attack... while Peter is still under.

The next morning, Peter wakes up happy and laid-back -- and determined to get out of his rotten job, and live fat and happy. He conspires with Samir Nagheenanajar (Ajay Naidu) and ill-named Michael Bolton (David Herman) -- two coworkers who are about to be axed -- to skim money off the company's assets with no one the wiser. Only problem is, their scene is rapidly spinning out of control.

"Office Space" started off as an early 90s animated skit, featuring the character of Milton. You know, that increasingly deranged employee who complains that "you took my stapler." This time, Milton is a minor character, although a pivotal one. The focus is mainly on the mellowed-out Peter and his wild scheme to profit the downtrodden employees of Initech.

Judge creates a hysterical tangle of cubicle workers, layoffs and the most annoying boss in the history of film ("Yeeeeeeaaaahhhh... uhhhhhhh..."). This brand of humor is twisted, down to the slow-motion, ghetto-style beating of the copier in the middle of a field. And of course, the dialogue is quietly insane ("Oh, and next Friday... is Hawaiian shirt day...") as the plot grows grows more and more tense... until you know someone has to snap.

The trio of lead characters are a riot -- there's Peter, whose newfound perspective is immensely entertaining. There's Samir, who can barely restrain his simmering rage at his rotten job. And there's Michael, who has a seething resentment that he has the same name as THAT sappy singer. Jennifer Aniston does a pretty good job as a love interest for Peter -- a waittress who hates her job as much as he hates his.

"Office Space" has become something of a deserving cult classic -- funny, strange, and sympathetic to the ants that toil in their cubicles. Make more movies, Mike Judge -- especially if they're as good as "Office Space."

I know that the setting feels dated and now rather "retro" but the circumstances are still very modern. Mike Judge is a comedic genius and the cast in this film are top notch.

Just how funny you find the drudgery of cubicle living really depends on whether or not you've experienced it. Mike Judge does a superb job capturing the banality of the everyday in an office and mining it for some unexpected and delightful humour. Whether it's the slavish devotion to process, the passive-aggressive bosses, or the jammed printer, the fact that these things are so familiar that makes them so funny.

Office Space is at its best when Peter (Ron Livingston) starts living every cubicle drone's fantasy and simply stops working. It's less a plot than a collection of antics, but it's all instantly relatable. Problems crop up in the third act when Peter and his friends hatch a plot to embezzle company money. The turn doesn't really fit with the rest of the movie and the humour suffers for it.

Extras
Sadly, this disc only offers the minimum amount of Flair. The deleted scenes are fine, and Judge's 'retrospective' is somewhat insightful, though I really would've appreciated a full commentary and possibly some cast interviews.

Presentation
Never a feast for the eyes, the transfer here is adequate. Given the nature of the film, there's really no reason to choose the Blu-Ray over the DVD.

Bottom Line
Those who want a compelling plot in their comedy need to look elsewhere, but if you're willing the find the humour in commonplace minutiae (a la Seinfeld) then there's plenty to love here.

Excellent movie; a classic comedy that anyone with a repetitive job (especially cubicle related) will appreciate and fall in love with. The music in the movie is rather inconsistent with the plot (it's basically all rap) but somehow it actually adds to the humor aspect of it because computer software programmers are the last people on earth that you would associate with a 'gangster' persona.

Even if you don't sit at a desk all day, there are some parts of the movie that everyone can relate to and appreciate - from taking a baseball bat to the company's photocopying machine to flipping your boss the bird for not wearing enough 'flair' with your uniform.

And always remember, whatever you do, don't take Milton's stapler.

Bitter, crazy, irritable yet completely loveable characters. This movie showcases how so many people really feel about work, life or whatever else...and the effetcs that a mind-numbing, repetitive job can have on a seemingly sane person. I love this movie...great acting, great script, great soundtrack...sort of...and definitely a 'must see'.

I love this movie. Very funny, i have to say. it's a classic comedy. Anyone who works in a cubicle can relate to every problem and every word said in this movie. Definetly check it out.

So funny yet a true depecition of modern office life! A unique comedy that you're sure to love!