"Extract" is excruciatingly bland

Director Michael Judge has generally had success with his directing projects ranging from "Office Space" to "Beevis and Butt-Head." But his latest movie "Extract," fails to capture the humor and wittiness his past movies possessed. With an all-star cast including Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman and Mila Kunis, "Extract" was poised to be the summer's last big comedy. But the script lacks humor and boasts hackneyed jokes that inevitably lead to a dull and uninteresting production.

The movie follows the life of Joel (Bateman) who owns a flavored extract company in California. Joel is days away from selling the company, when bad fortune strikes. A worker is injured during his work shift and threatens to sue the company for millions. Kunis plays the devious gold-digger who has an intimate relationship with the injured worker in order to get his settlement money. Bateman sets out to unravel this drama while also rekindling his love life and fending off an idiotic gigolo.

Academy Award winner Affleck provides slivers of humor as the drugged out bartender- friend of Bateman. His character is the one silver lining to the movie as he provides humorous philosophies and a drug-addicted personality. However, his talent is wasted by a lackluster script and even worse plot. Sadly, Bateman and company fall short in delivering slapstick segments throughout the course of the movie, thereby sinking the movies potential for comedic success.

While Bateman provided audiences with laughable moments in shows such as "Arrested Development," he has failed to harness the simple humor he so often accomplishes. Hopefully, with the upcoming release of the "Arrested Development" movie, he will return to his previous comedic self.

Kunis also tries adamantly to reignite the comedic flare of the movie with her cunning character, but her attempts become strikingly futile. Kunis brought many expectations because of her previous star power in films like "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Family Guy." Yet her character isn't given any opportunities to flourish and in the end can't fulfill comedic predictions.

A good cast and decent director make this an attractive movie to see; however, a vapid script and boring plot will make viewers want to "Extract" themselves from the theater.

"Extract” (91 minutes) is rated R for language, sexual references and some drug use. Now playing in theaters everywhere.