Idiocracy - Review

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1. Goon Says:
   September 2nd, 2006 at 15:34

   i saw it in Toronto, one of the few cities it is playing in, and disagree...
   It is occasionally funny but the idea does not work as a full film, it feels like an extended fantasy sequence from another movie, and neither Wilson and especially not Rudolph are strong enough to keep it moving, and neither are the jokes, which got to be too much of the same thing over and over again...
   
   i think the biggest evidence of how poorly thrown together it all was is the need for constant narration to actually keep the film moving. by the end of the film i wa s squirming in my seat waiting for it to end....
   
   and it could have been better, all those sets and advertising etc shows there was some confidence in this film at SOME point, it looks more expensive a film than I think most people imagined. In the end the film reminds me of "Run Ronnie Run" - where ambitious smart people bit off a little more than they could chew, taking a decent premise and failing to realize that it doesnt work over 90 minutes...
   
   I was also hoping it would have said something about religion, but oh well. I guess Judge's vision of the dumbass future is entirely consumerism based. In that sense this film also reminds of Josie and the Pussycats....

1. Josh Says:
   September 2nd, 2006 at 15:39

   I prefer to think of the constant narration as part of the joke, not something he had to do in order to glue his movie together. It was a choice, and a funny one.
   
   Otherwise, different strokes for different folks. I think we've got enough movies out there railing against religion. If Judge had done that he'd just blend in with the noise. That's just not the movie he chose to make. Mike Judge has never been a big anti-religion voice anyway. Not sure why you'd expect him to start now. That's Matt Stone and Trey Parker's territory.
   
   Just glad at this point that someone else saw it. You have to admit, even if you didn't like it as much as I did, that it certainly deserves to be released. Even you found a few good laughs in it Goon.

1. SC Says:
   September 3rd, 2006 at 14:45

   Can you get Rotten Tomatoes to change your review to positive?
   
   Saw it last night and between the 10 laugh out loud moments I couldn't stop thinking about how scary this film was. Maybe Al Gore can package it with his An Inconvenient Truth DVD.

1. Josh Says:
   September 3rd, 2006 at 14:46

   What do you mean SC? It is listed as positive on RottenTomatoes.

1. Adam Worth Says:
   September 4th, 2006 at 18:08

   This was one of the funniest (yet scariest) movies I've ever seen. The plot of this movie explores a topic which I have often thought about myself. I often see some very stupid people on the street and supermarkets, and as scary as their stupidity is; the scariest part is seeing that they have 10 offsprings in tow. I don't see any of these offsprings growing up to be anything more than stupid, mass-quantity consuming, breeding machines.
   
   I give thumbs up to Mike Judge for having the balls to show us a glimpse of our future and attack big corporations who would like nothing more that have billions of brain-dead consumers buying their products.
   
   

1. Anonymous Says:
   September 5th, 2006 at 01:35

   "Even Maya Rudolph, whose appearance usually signifies the end of all things good, is killer as a hooker from the past convinced that her pimp will find his way forward in time to beat her ass. You know what? She almost had me convinced that he would."
   
   I guess you didn't stay through the credits!
   

1. Josh Says:
   September 5th, 2006 at 01:57

   Indeed, note to anyone who does see Idiocracy... stay through the end credits.
   
   I know, it sucks sitting there watching Key Grips and Best Boys, but it's worth it.

1. NOT SURE Says:
   September 7th, 2006 at 08:41

   One huge problem with this fine and funny movie is Mike Judge is about 400 years too far in the future. I think we will see these conditions and subhuman intelligence around 2095 or so. Thanks Mike.

1. Anderson Says:
   September 11th, 2006 at 19:30

   I can hardly wait to see this; it's not available in theaters where I live. Some of the ideas espoused by the film have a strong resemblance to C.M. Kornbluth's SF short story from the 1950's, "The Marching Morons", which also had a very dim view of the average intelligence of our descendents.
   

1. tbonez Says:
   September 12th, 2006 at 20:18

   The film isn't without flaws. In spite of them, Idiocracy is a must-see. There hasn't been a movie that's so effectively wrapped horror in a comedic package since Brazil. You will NEVER forget this film - the doctor, the president, the lawyers, and yes, a celebrity warrior named Beef Supreme. Get your grin on.
   
   And double-f Fox for dumping it.

1. Elisson Says:
   September 18th, 2006 at 17:32

   I'm glad somebody (Anderson, above) picked up on the connection between Idiocracy and Cyril Kornbluth's short story, "The Marching Morons." None of the film reviews I've read seem to have been aware of the Kornbluth story, which seems to be the direct inspiration for this film. As such, I can't wait to see it.

1. Toe Stubber Says:
   September 26th, 2006 at 01:43

   I saw it on Sunday and while I agree it's flawed (for example, the "happy ending" was kinda hard to take) there were plenty of details that had me laughing my guts out. Judge also levels a few attacks on the story's moronically lazy and pathologically hostile police. This is a really funny film that's been getting a lot of recommendations from me.

1. G31g3rd0lyl W0dd Says:
   October 8th, 2006 at 18:53

   Wait a second... was this Fox... I see... Two words for you Josh... Future rama... or better yet one word... Futurama... (LOL) ;) Here's the thing Mike Judge basicly ripped of the opening premise of Matt's Futurama. A guy cryogenicly suspended awakens in a future where pop culture has been obscured beyond belief. Granted, Matt also adopted some future idiocencreices from different popculture scifi sources like transportation via tubing (The Jetsons), The future metropolitan city with a holographic Jaws titantron at one point (Back to the Future II), and surfing the web with your mind (The Matrix) to name a few. Mike may have rejected those ideas but still you can't deny the uncanny resemblence in plot.

1. KrkDly Says:
   November 6th, 2006 at 16:31

   "i think the biggest evidence of how poorly thrown together it all was is the need for constant narration to actually keep the film moving."
   
   I think this is a "historical" film in that the narrator exists in a "present" (sometime after 2505), and is telling us a story about an average guy who previously saved the world from ruin. Thanks to this average Joe, the world re-learned to read and think (Hence now have the available intelligence required to make the historical film we're watching), even though reading and thinking were the very things Joe avoided in his own time.
   (Speculation moment) I can't help thinking there was a specific reason Judge had Joe be a G.I.; that there is a lot of good the troops could be doing, rather than violently furthering corporate interests 6000 miles away.
   
   I saw this film in Pasadena this weekend and I think it's as good as Office Space, even though he borrows from other sources ("Futurama" and "The Marching Morons" already mentioned).
   The print was glitchy, there was a hiss in the soundtrack and it was one of the best movie experiences I've had in a long time.
   Mike Judge has balls enough to actually make public statements using Companies' proper names. Starbucks. Carl's Jr. Costco. Flingers?
   What's amazing is South Park (and other shows, Family Guy comes to mind) can blatently deride any religious establishment (as well they should) with minimal public response all while increasing it's ad revenue by expanding to network channels. Judge, however, commits a real sin by suggesting these corporations are possibly contributing to an American decline. Reminds me when John Lennon said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus... big uproar. Except now it would be Justin Timberlake saying he's more cheesier that cheetos. Which may be true, actually.
   
   I can remember when "America" brought to mind purple skies, waves of grain, Smokey Bear, and hard-working do-gooding folks. It may have been bullshit, but it's better bullshit than Biggie Sizes and KBR.

1. fawltytowers Says:
   December 9th, 2006 at 00:42

   I'm 59 years old, this is the funniest movie since Animal House and the Blues Brothers. I saw it three times in 2 days the week it opened. Then I went running all over trying to find it, because they kept moving it around the theaters. I think it was the poster, people didn't really look at the poster. I read a little movie review in the paper and went to see it. I laughed so hard, I dominated the theater doubled up with laughter, pointing at the screen, I talked during the movie!!! Between Borat and Idiocracy, it's hard to tell which one is funnier. And they are both controversial. We love when the kids make it controversial!!! GOOD JOB KIDS!!! There's a future for mankind!!! Right after I saw the movie, about a week later, I was in traffic in West Hollywood, and this road crew put orange cones all over the street, and you couldn't tell which way to go. Then this guy pulls up next to me, and I motioned for him to roll his window down so I could tell him there were orange cones in the way, and he goes "duh whaaa???" with the same exact look on his face as the movie. I must have repeated it 5 times and he still was going "duh whaaa???" I have been laughing ever since, everytime I see one of these guys, and that's about 2 a day. I can't stop laughing. Mike Judge must have had wonderful parents. What a nice boy.

1. Ken Says:
   January 10th, 2007 at 13:50

   I saw it on DVD last night. One of the most engaging movies I have seen lately.
   It was very funny and thought provoking.
   See it. (It has electrolytes, what a movie needs)
   

1. Michael Says:
   January 10th, 2007 at 16:18

   I've now seen the movie and can honestly say that it is the most hilarious movie I have seen all year. The predictions are scary and very real to me. The behavior of the future population is not limited to mocking red-necks, but it is also inclusive of pointing out the same idiocratic tendencies of the Stoners, Sports Fanatics, Chicanos, and the Black Culture of Ignorance Bill Cosby hates so damn much. They all get a good reaming in Mike Judge's Ignorwellian vision. (You like that? I just made it up. I'm such a clever non-breeder. )
   
   Now keep in mind that my opinion is tainted by the very same selfish arrogance with which the affluent inteligencia the film makes fun of at the start is afflicted. The only reason we have so many idiot jokes to laugh at in this movie is because the biggest idiots of all managed to family plan their asses out of existence. I must admit that I myself am fitting into that profile quite nicely these days. Now, onto my dislikes.
   
   The narrator's endless droning reminds me a lot of the original theatrical release of Blade Runner. A largely unnecessary presence that detracts from the film. The patronizing exposition seems to betray Mike Judges own lack of confidence in the audiences ability to figure out what is happening on screen. Turn up the dialogue and turn off the narrator please. Then the movie can be released as a "Directors Cut" and I'll buy that one as well. But aside from that and the whole movie wrapping up too quickly, I must say I am proud to have this movie in my DVD collection and will place it prominently next to my wide-screen directors cut of Office Space.

1. Saengard Says:
   January 11th, 2007 at 12:55

   I am not as eloquent as some of these folks, but I too had thought that this was one of the most original dystopian visions since Brazil. I accidentally stumbled onto a review of this film a few months back and have been scouring the net for any news on a release at a local video store, and finally found it on Jan 9. I just saw it, and have conflicted feelings, and am still trying to sort it out. I loved it and will own it, but...
   
   I have tried to figure out what exactly is the piece of the film that has left me feeling unsettled. I agree with "tbonez" (I wonder how many upgrayedd's are around on the net) where he pointed out that it is a horror wrapped in a comedy. Beyond that, there is a forced element to the story, and believe it or not, I think Mike Judge was playing it safe. 500 years is a bit far to travel, familiar companies wouldn't exist - but for the funny I get it. The narration was a bit like Uncle Jesse on Dukes of Hazard for me. It implied a potential future historian looking back on the dark ages, but didn't go anywhere and didn't reveal anything. It was simply a disconnected voice with no ultimate purpose. If it could have tied together, maybe with another view of an even more distant (and potentially more outlandish future) then it might have worked better.
   
   I liked it. I loved it. I would have liked to see more on the dvd, more deleted scenes, commentaries etc.
   It's going to take some time for me to peg the specific elements that are unsettling though. (other than the obvious dystopia)

1. david soutee Says:
   January 12th, 2007 at 03:28

   Dear Fox,
   
   Thank you for the wonderful surprise you call Idiocracy. Not since Crash has a movie been so disturbing, yet hilarious. I watched it a couple of days ago and I've been telling everyone I see to go rent it (and to burn several copies for illegal distribution). This movie is truly destined to become a cult classic. Mr. Judge, his keen intellect, and his huge set of gonads have given us a film which is truly unique. You chuckle, shudder, then chuckle again. You may even wake up in the middle of the night with cold sweats while screaming "I'm not a fag!" Or that could just be me.
   
   go F yourselves,
   
   dave

1. Willy Lane Says:
   January 15th, 2007 at 16:44

   I'm a really big Mike Judge fan, and feel about Office Space the same way you feel about this film, but I thought Idiocracy was painfully un-funny. Beyond the laugh I got from the initial presentation of the gag- everyone in the future is stupid, consumerism reigns, the movie just drug. Starbucks is ubiquitous and greedy, Costco is huge, hospitals and courts are inefficient and bumbling. Duh. As far as satirical targets go, these are pretty much mamed deer stumbling down the highway. Lumberg and the Bob's from Office Space were fun to hate, whether you work in a cubicle or not. The idiot lawyer, doctor, cops, president, etc. weren't funny, they were just frustrating. I'm not saying I didn't get a few good laughs out of some of these characters (a beefy, ex UFC champ pres.) but the gags just got really stupid, frustrating, and tired after the first fifteen minutes. I was rooting for the crushinator to kill Luke Wilson (who was not 1/10th as good as Ron Livingston) just so the movie would be over and everyone in the future would die already.
   I realize that maybe frustration is a sign that the satire is effective in slapping us in the face, but this wasn't that kind of frustration. Judge just kept hitting us with the same gag. They water plants with salty sports drink, they stare at a pasty ass for 90 minutes, on and on, the jokes go less and less funny. I'm a big fan of Judge's animated shorts, and I think this would have worked really well in that format, but 90 minutes of it was painful.
   

1. B Causal Says:
   January 15th, 2007 at 20:02

   You forgot to mention Ethan Cohen - of the Cohen Bros. Brilliant!!

1. theguyhimself Says:
   January 16th, 2007 at 14:20

   My roommate and I bought Idiocracy the day it came out on DVD. He was one of the few thousands that might have seen it here in Houston "due to restrictions on viewings". Our hobby is to analyze movies. After watching Idiocracy, I have to say before my rant, Go Buy This Movie! I love it! It is hilarious, because it’s plausible and I believe it will open the eyes of the American people.
   Big corporations like FOXN3WS, G8orade, Star8ucks, and The UHMERICAN Gov. etc. might feel Idiocracy to be a threat. There couldn't have been an all out block of the movie and for that, I am proud to be an American.
   But, can our freedoms somehow, become our demise as a civilization? In Idiocracy, water has been replaced with a sports drink (because it has electrolytes) except for the use of flushing the toilet,
   The FDA has been bought and eventually the food pyramid has been eliminated,
   Cigarettes are the size of cigars and their slogan is "If you don't smoke our cigarettes F@$# YOU! “,
   and best of all The President is a 5 time Ultimate Smackdown Champion and The White House is the new playboy mansion.
   If any of this sounds familiar then you have to watch this movie! We are slowly giving in to these sorts of liberties and control to people whose influence is bought and paid for by companies listed above and the new CARL’S JR, “F@$# YOU I’m eating!”.
   I watch movies like Grandmas Boy, 40yr Old Virgin, Old School, Van Wilder, Harold & Kumar, Accepted, Dodge Ball etc... And I believe Idiocracy to be the best movie of the year and for decades to come!
   
   Himself
   

1. Willy Lane Says:
   January 16th, 2007 at 18:13

   Best movie of the year!?!? Satire is best when it is subtle and original. Idiocracy is neither. Futurama, the 5th element, Blade Runner, Back to the Future 2, and Minority Report... to name a few all portrayed a similar future, Judge just inserted fart jokes and monster trucks. How do you people see this as some kind of alarming and prophetic dystopian vision? The jokes were DOA after 15 minutes. Every one of Judge's satires works because we identify to some degree with those being satirized. I was a couch potato like Beavis, we love Hank Hill despite his hillbilly-ness, the Bobs in OS were cleverly portrayed and hilarious. The characters in this movie are one-dimensional and frustrating. Oh my GOD he's totally right, Carl's Jr. is evil and poisonous, what witty satire. How hard of a target is that? Guys jerk off and watch alot of TV, WOW, ballsy Mike Judge, ballsy. If you really find this movie to be clever and insightful in any way, you're probably a Clevon for sure, so go have 18 babies and hopefully some day soon all of Mike Judge's daring predictions will come true. Costco is enormous and evil, eewwwwwee who'd have seen that coming!?!

1. Glad I won\'t be around Says:
   January 17th, 2007 at 15:02

   My husband and I rented this movie because we are fans of Office Space. We hadn't heard of the movie before seeing it in the video store. This movie was hilarious and an extreme exaggeration of the TRUTH! It really made us laugh and think hard about the direction of this world.

1. Brandon from Wisconsin Says:
   January 23rd, 2007 at 22:35

   "Futurama, the 5th element, Blade Runner, Back to the Future 2, and Minority Report... to name a few all portrayed a similar future, Judge just inserted fart jokes and monster trucks."-Willy Lane
   
   Apparently, there are some people who like to bash something even if they don't understand it.
   
   First of all Little Willy, you don't see it as good satire because it isn't supposed to be good satire. (If you watched fifteen minutes of that show and thought it could be taken for serious reflection, you're dumber than the morons in 2550.)
   
   Secondly, the entire theme of the movie was enough to make me laugh. And although at the end I admitted to my friend that there wasn't enough material to make it longer, I still wished for more.
   
   Thirdly, DDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. Willy Lane Says:
   January 24th, 2007 at 01:49

   So in summary:
   1. I didn't understand the movie (though it wasn't serious, so it must have been simple)
   2. It isn't good satire
   3. The "entire theme" (you must be an English major) was riotously funny, but not enough for more than 80 or so minutes
   4. DDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!
   
   I really don't disagree with anything you said. To revisit what I've said twice now, Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill, and Office Space are all what you would call "good satire", but are definitely not "serious reflection". Satire isn't supposed to be serious. If it were, it would be criticism. Judge's other work, Beavis, K of the H, Office Space are not serious at all. I'm no comedy elitist, Super Troopers still makes me piss my pants. Idiocracy just isn't that funny. I've been thinking about how to put this to more than an opinion question, because I really think the movie is objectively unfunny. I still think it's the lack of subtlety. When you develope characters the audience really identifies with, and likes, as we do with the workers in Office Space, the little ways they get screwed over make you laugh and get pissed at the same time. We never learn anything, let alone care about Wilson or Rudolph. Anyone can look around today and see that we have an idiot president, TV shows are generally dumb, and corporations control what we see, do, and eat. These targets are easy, so after the first twenty minutes the jokes fall flat. It's alot funnier to pick on little things within society that nobody else has noticed or has the guts to make fun of. Lumberg was still hilarious by the end of Office Space, even though we hate the guy. By the end of Idiocracy, that sorry excuse for an MTV washout Dax is still doing the same joke, and you don't laugh at him like you did at Lumberg, you just want to reach in and slug him. Like I said, you can't help but laugh at a roid-freak president. Parts of this movie are funny. Judge usually keeps you surprised throughout a film with new targets and new jabs that you don't see coming (I'll burn the building down, Spinkowski getting hit by a truck "best day of my life"). In Idiocracy, he hits his target over the head with a baseball bat in the first twenty minutes and then makes us sit there for another hour as he tells the same joke over and over. So we agree, not good satire. (Which it is supposed to be by the way, read anything Judge has said about the film)

1. Josh Says:
   January 24th, 2007 at 01:50

   Willy, it sounds like you wanted Office Space and didn't like it when you got something different.
   
   Judge has already done Office Space. Let go!

1. Brian Says:
   January 24th, 2007 at 15:53

   I saw just this movie. It was absolutely terrible. It's clear why Fox gave it the cold shoulder.
   
   Judge beats you over the head with the message about consumerism, and the method in which it's conveyed is just not funny. It's Dumb and Dumber style jokes, without the laughs. What's really funny is how vehemently people are defending this pile of rubbish. Yes, we understood the message (and in my case, agreed with it), but it was just a bad movie. Sorry, guys.
   
   I am no fan of Fox, but in this case, it's clear why the movie was received with a lack of fanfare.

1. HappySysiphus Says:
   January 27th, 2007 at 14:04

   There is more to corporate decisions than the bottom line these days. There are the interests of the top dogs to maintain discipline as well. It is an endgame strategy.
   
   Since 9-11 there has been and unwritten rule: No wild fires.
   
   Meaning: controversy or celebrity that is not manufactured by us to fit in exactly with our nefarious system of using world media to controll consumer behavior is out.
   
   They don't want you to buy their products just to sell them, because every product is a part of their synergistic, inter-corporate handshake dance.
   
   They only want you to buy what they tell you to buy, when they tell you to buy it.
   
   If they aren't careful with genuine content from their legacy (20th century) talent people might start buying things when Mike Judge says so.
   
   They just can't have that, now can they?

1. Donna A. Says:
   February 1st, 2007 at 20:05

   I just saw this. It was really funny. It had a lot to think about. When you look around as you see all the mouth breathers. You wonder if he was talking about today.
   I loved the very first part. When they showed how we become dumb downed.
   A good film. To bad Fox didn't have faith in it.
   Donna A.
   
   

1. johng Says:
   February 19th, 2007 at 12:27

   One of the funniest movies I've seen in years. One commentor above mentioned Gilliam's Brazil, which is interesting. I liked his twisted vision of the future too, but I believe this dystopia is where we are actually heading! Keep an eye out for things happening in the background. (The first time and only time I ever went to Fudruckers, I was blessed with food poisoning. My wife and I got an extra kick out of that one!)
   
   I see criticism of special effects, the narration, and laments that the film is not as good as "Office Space." I havn't seen Office Space, so that film must be supurb. Also, if you believe the effects in "Idiocracy" were made on the "cheap," I believe you are missing something about this movie. Please give this guy Judge what he needs to continue making me laugh.
   
   I had never heard of this film until my son insisted we watch it. Thanks Jonny!

1. Lance Says:
   February 25th, 2007 at 14:28

   A very clever movie.. I love his twisted view on advertising taking over and tarketing the idiots (Welcome to coscto.. I love you..).. This is just as good office space if not better, but they are different beasts.. Judge is a genious.. Buy the DVD.
   
   Lance
   Eat at Carls Jr

1. BL Says:
   March 2nd, 2007 at 14:54

   Good premise...much of which we do have now. Joe is a G.I. because, well, duh..."G.I. Joe." Did you really miss that?

1. Bob Says:
   March 17th, 2007 at 19:13

   I saw this movie via my Netflix queue after Pat Norton mentioned it on last week's "This Week in Tech" podcast. This is the only movie I've seen in the last year that has had so man gut-bustingly funny moments. While the movie as a whole is a bit coarse in its editing, the satire is biting and clear. The consumerism (and the lack of disguising of brand names) must be what made Fox bow to pressure from big business in effectively killing this.
   
   I don't buy many DVDs, so my collection is of movies I truly love and will watch again. This is one of those movies, along with Office Space.
   
   You owe yourself a view of this movie!!!

1. Sean Says:
   March 29th, 2007 at 23:54

   This movie rocked, one hilarious laugh after another... Mix Office Space with a little Beavis and Butthead, add a shot of vodka and youve got IDIOCRACY... trust me - SEE it!

1. mr.sound Says:
   April 2nd, 2007 at 12:07

   If you think this movie is bad or stupid, that means you are bad or stupid and we are no longer living in a democracy but an Idioicracy! Case Closed!!!!!

1. ade Says:
   April 3rd, 2007 at 16:16

   does anybody know the name of the melody at the end of the movie when the titles begin? if yes, please write me adzius@walla.com thank you

1. travis pitts Says:
   April 13th, 2007 at 12:52

   It had flaws. that much is admitable. why? from what I hear, the budget was cut at every turn. I'm sure when fox would get the shooting schedules and script updates, they were like- "you're going to say WHAT about FOX/COSTCO/CARL'S JR/TACO BELL/the GOV'T/Television/consumerism?!?!?" etc...
   it's quite obvious FOX feared lawsuits from blatant use of corporate names without permission, and were probably just annoyed that Judge is quite onto the way things work in society, and were set to make sure his vision would be a skeleton of what it could have been, then lumped into the corner with bad, straight to dvd comedies.
   I can see how people would think it was a bad movie if they are the type of people that the movie makes fun of. The sad thing is, they still don't realize they are being made fun of, they just see the entire movie as unfunny since it doesn't have a)Will Ferrell and b)NASCAR.
   and to those who say 'I can see why it had such limited release'...seriously?, I can give you a list of 25 other movies released that year that should have never made it to the screen, but in fact made alot of money because they were basically a current version of "ASS", and the suckers went to them.
   
   I love Idiocracy. I'm buying it this weekend. It's my new 'planet of the apes'... It has flaws, and I think that makes me love it more. It doesn't bug me when I see two sets of teeth in Cornelius's mouth, nor does it bug me that much of Idiocracy looks like it was shot in a warehouse. It was rejected by its own studio- and I know why- and that makes me love it more. I'm pushing it to anyone who is smart enough to see through the imperfections and feel justified in knowing along with mike judge that society is falling in on itself out of comfort, laziness and instant gratification.
   
   and here's another tidbit for the conspiracy theorists like me:
   at least from my cable provider, Idiocracy was only available on demand FOR A WEEK, and didn't ever appear as a 'just in' new release, you had to dig through all new titles to find it. A week? they have NEVER done that before. smells fishy to me.

1. a worried fan Says:
   April 23rd, 2007 at 04:27

   I rented Idiocracy when I found out that Mike Judge was its creator. I thought the first 15 minutes were hilarious, but then it scared me. The comedy reveals an appalling truth. Mike Judge's vision of the future is all too real and happening NOW. Amazingly, he has captured exactly what we can expect as a future for our planet. The slow-witted are breeding round-the-clock from their early teens while graduate students can't find the time to date until their thirties. We are further doomed by reality TV and corporate America's catering to the lowest common denominator. Intelligent programming and humor are all but gone from TV (except for King of the Hill). How sad for our species!
   Kudos to Mike Judge for having the "b...s" to give us Idiocracy after Office Space and to Josh Tyler for an insightful "on the ball" review. You are both shrewd and very perceptive. You give me some hope for the future after all. I hope each of you will have many offspring.
   Note to Ade: the fun piece of music at the start of the credits is called "Buckaroo" and it is performed by Buck Owens' Buckaroos.

1. No way Says:
   June 14th, 2007 at 22:55

   K, everyone's so scared after watching this movie and believing it to be somewhat true. I say this is complete BS. See, if it's true, it would mean that we should be quite stupid compared to say....the people from 16th century. But are we? Hell no. Currently, more people go to college, more people get educated and more people get less stupid. When you look at the population, Most belong to the average intelligence, not too smart, not too dumb. Sure there are stupid people, but heck they don't multiply like rats and their children are not necessarily dumb asses. Human strive on competition, there will ALWAYS be people who strive for excellence and they are the intelligent ones.
   From a globe view, American people maybe quite stupid, but their leaders are not. Even George Bush is not as dumb as you think, or at least he has very good advisers. The American dollar is dropping for a good reason. Formerly 5 billion debt is now only 2, don't think any dumb ass thought up that.
   But hey if American do become so stupid in the movie, they be likely eliminated/enslaved...etc by other nations. Believe Darwin, it's the survival of the fittest, physically and intellectually.

1. T dubbs Says:
   June 22nd, 2007 at 12:06

   In response to No Way:
   
   "more people go to college, more people get educated and more people get less stupid."
   
   Going to College doesn't make you smart and being a farmer in 16th century Europe or any other time, certainly doesn't make you stupid. The dumbing down in Idiocracy, in my opinion, wasn't really about IQ levels. It's about people deevolving to base desires and instincts. It's happening now. You can go anywhere in the US and find loads of people who simple utter, "Gay," when they don't get something. Judge touches on that brilliantly by having everyone think a person who can speak properly is gay. Also, corporations are going to be able to manipulate humans to their own demise much the way they are doing now. In your 16th scenario a King felt a duty toward his subjects, which CEO's most defintiely do not.
   Anyway, I was a little put off by the film's trailer, but I will watch this movie again and again.

1. Ken3001 Says:
   June 26th, 2007 at 12:20

   Absolutely loved it! "Idiocracy" is so full of subtle little sight gags, that I went back to watch it again with my finger on the pause button, just to make sure I caught them all.
   It may not be perfect, but it is original, funny, thought-provoking and totally enjoyable.
   
   Maya Rudolph has never been so funny.

1. Katrina Says:
   July 15th, 2007 at 07:35

   i'm sorry, but i thought this movie was the saddest/ poorest excuse for a movie i have ever in my life sat down to watch. throughout the entire movie i hoped and hoped for an ending that never came. the only reason i finished watching this complete and utter piece of S**T movie was out of shear curiosity for what would happen. i firmly believe brain cells of mine were lost due to the viewing of this "movie" and the only thing i, sort of, think may have come out of this "movie" is that hopefully man kind will kill itself before anything escalates to any such level.

1. david Says:
   July 17th, 2007 at 15:51

   People are killing braincells because they sit through too many movies expecting endings that aren't realistic... What makes a "good" movie nowadays? Realism? Thought provoking ideas? Nope... It's all about the protagonist experiencing a "change," "good conquering evil," something has to happen at the end... If the movie is left to open thought, it sucks. That is the attitude of movie watchers nowadays. Who cares about storylines, the average person is ooo'ed and ahhh'ed by explosions and special effects. Even if their intellects try to persuade them of what a pointless movie that was, they'll still be convinced it wasn't a complete waste of time because at the end, the good guy won...

1. Sophia Says:
   August 4th, 2007 at 21:18

   This movie hits on the reality, which is scary. Nowadays, we tend to watch TV a lot, movies, and other visual "easiness to the brain", if I may call it that. Reading books is minimal or non-existent, unless going to school. Yeah, we are killing brain cells everyday.
   
   Plus the overpopulating the world with stupid people is taking place today. The 'Hugger Family’ is making this movie a reality -- they just had their 17th kid and want more, which I think is ridicules. Supposedly they are all “home schooled” – yeah right. Anyway, I am afraid of out future.
   
   I personally loved this movie.

1. HipNerd Says:
   August 14th, 2007 at 05:20

   I saw a link on LinkFilter.net about this movie, so I've been looking for discussions about it. The thing that bothers me most to read in this discussion is so many people believing that stupid people are breeding out of control, and that this poses a real threat to society. This belief falls under the heading of Social Darwinism, a philosophy which has been associated with some of the biggest racists and bigots in modern history, and also thoroughly discredited.
   
   The dumbing down of society is a serious problem, but the idea that it's being caused by "stupid" people breeding out of control is not true. To believe it is to be stupid yourself.

1. Salamon2 Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 02:18

   The whole idea that Idiocracy can happen because Cleatis and Trish are bunnies and that because no predator exists anymore that their children will come to dominate our world is really a dumbing down of what actually is going on in our nation. Survival of the Fittest is just "Might makes Right" all over again. Thrasymachus must be quite proud that his thoughts live on.
   
   Returning to the movie: While I enjoyed the movie, it made me feel slightly claustrophobic, for it seemed to be filmed on the same block repeatedly. I do think that this movie is a social commentary, it also seems a parody of a social commentary at the same time. The story and romance of Joe and Rita I found to be more of a parody of these type of films, and I didn't take it too seriously, nor did I feel was it meant to be taken seriously. Overall my impression of the movie, while it was funny, it seemed to me go so far as to make fun of itself at the same time.
   
   To quote my roommate upon seeing the movie "It just looks like he took California and shoved it into a microcosm of itself".
   
   What I think could have made the movie better, was it could have explained what had led the world to this point in more precise terms. There was just something missing that could have been added when the Yuppies were on the screen.
   
   How did Americans come to value consumerism and de-evolve? By the intellectuals destroying Western Civilization. America was founded upon the principles and hopes of people who were large fans of Western Ideologies. When taken to extreme ends Western Civilization can be called racist, sexist, elitist, and all of those other offensive yet true items. Yet it also examines what it is to be a human being and inspires people to become better than what they are. However what postmodernist thinkers and PC censors are doing is just telling you to ignore the culmination of Western thought because it is sexist, racist, elitist, etc. The fact isn't that the intellectual people didn't just "stop breeding" as Idiocracy hints. Or at least it isn't as simple as what they portray. It is the fact that intellectuals are too much at war with one another, and are focused too much on a crusade to censor and explain Western Civilization away.
   
   So while yes more people are going to college to become educated, this really just is a self defeating concept because the professors aren't interested in teaching what has inspired some of the most brilliant minds to strive to achieve a better world. They instead are interested in training those who go to college to not take Western thought seriously. They train them to read Shakespeare and only see the racism and sexism he has, instead of studying the uncanny truths of humanity Shakespeare analyzes. Instead of reading Jane Austen for the delightfully witty yet moving story, they read it and say how Jane Austen must have been a socially repressed woman who was secretly trying to fight the patriarchy (Nice try, anyone who thinks that needs to reread her Emma).
   
   Here is a sample of some English courses being offered in American Colleges and Universities around the nation:
   
   English 276.401 Comparative Cross-Dressing (Cary Mazer) University of Pennsylvania, Spring 2006
   English 22807 32852 Race and Ethnicity in the Caribbean, University of Chicago (Rosamond King), Fall 2005
   English 398 Latino/a Popular Culture (Brady, M.) Cornell University, Spring 2007
   English 597 Sex Outside the City (Scott Herring), Pennsylvania State University, Spring 2007
   English S3024D Topics in literary theory: reading Freud (D. Moses) Columbia University, Summer 2006
   English 448b Globalization & Postcolonial Writing (Shameem Black), Yale University, Spring 2007
   
   And these are supposed to be some the top colleges in the United States.
   
   It seems these days Professors would rather be teaching something else besides their own subject.
   
   They reduce history to what happens in Idiocracy via the "Time Machine" where the good guys win, and the bad guys loose, or convert to being good in the end.
   
   The three-fifths compromise is remembered as "the founders thought slaves were just three-fifths of a person". Instead of the argument was over the issue of representation in the government: that the Southern states wanted the slaves to count as a whole person, while the Northern states didn't want them to be counted at all.
   
   Postmodern thought teaches us that we should be what we already are, essentially. To strive for any idea of perfection or betterment is seen as borderline racist and prejudicial. Society is the best it can ever be, and to strive for an even better world is a waste of time. That is what postmodern thought teaches. It teaches that we are at the height of civilization and that we can't get any better. So therefore, we'll stop right here and go no further, thank you very much. And what do you think is happening when all of these kids go to college and hear that? It makes them go home and think that they are already the best they can possibly be, so why try and be better? Instead, let's make fun of those who think they can be better, because we all know that we can't anymore, that would hurt people's feelings, it would trample on others as well. Progress, for Progresses' sake is just laughable.
   
   So essentially, what it boils down to, is that the intellects have stopped teaching Literature and History, the two tools which benefit society the most because they improve and culture people. Those that attend college nowadays are fast being denied the literature which has cultured and bettered many a person, and instead being offered "Multicultural Studies" instead. I say leave Multicultural studies to Anthropology, and give us back the study of Pope, Swift, Johnson, Marlowe, Shakespeare, Austen, Lewis, Twain, Faulkner, O'Conner, and such. People in the past have after all benefited from this literature. Lincoln after all learned his English reading Shakespeare by the fireplace, without anyone standing over his shoulder telling him how he should be reading it.
   
   The one time we have a chance to improve more of our society than we have ever had before is wasted, because we've given up on the things that have made us smarter. We instead opt out for a plateau, and hope that we can keep that plateau running on forever, but as Idiocracy tells us, everything must eventually come to a decline.
   
   So what happens when you destroy your past or try to forget about it by rewriting or censoring it? You make the same mistake twice. That is a concept as old as time itself, but is as true as ever it was.
   
   So essentially it is the intellectuals' faults that Idiocracy can come true. They deny literature that has inspired many to strive for a better world, or teach it (because they are forced to) by telling the students to look for certain things, write an essay about how our current world is better and go home feeling satisfied that you took down a Western thinker with essentially the intellectuals' version of the phrase "That's gay".
   
   ~Salamon2

1. bubby Says:
   September 4th, 2007 at 11:34

   This is a good film on several levels. First, big government outright runs the government. Second, yes we are going against evolution. Third, read and learn or this is our future. Fourth, look who laughs at the fart jokes. Last, that guitar band was AWESOME! What concepts of a future run by idiots. Some could argue we are ruled by idiots now.
   
   But to recognize the smartest person and promote them goes against what the future represents for this film. Education wasn't disucussed, except that it could be purchased from Costco. This is a well maid movie - OH no, it is rubbing off on me! This can be frustrait - frustreyt - you fag!

1. MaryAnn Thomas Says:
   September 8th, 2007 at 12:16

   Absolutley the funniest and most awesome film that I've seen in quite a while. One of the few that I've ever had a desire to watch a second time. I watched it with my husband and a few days later with my daughter and then recommended it to my friend and mother. Pretty sure everyone should see it at least once!

1. Jimbo Republican Says:
   September 13th, 2007 at 18:23

   The funniest part of the movie is the glowing reviews from liberals. They are too stupid to realize the movie entirely based on Eugenics. Eugenics suggestively means that bug-eyed skinny vegitarian lawyers have better DNA then everyone else. And you leftys laughed and laughed. I laugh with your, or am I laughing at your stupidity?

1. John Says:
   September 17th, 2007 at 11:50

   Yes Jimbo, that is a good analysis. I agree with you that vegetarians and lawyers are bug-eyed and support fascism. I think they were also responsible for the holocaust. I heard that Hitler was a vegetarian. If he was also a lawyer then I think we can prove the case that most of the "idiots" portrayed in this movie are actually the saviors of the free world, with supplies and rations provided by the beneficence of the corporate giants who actually do love us, not just say it like in this movie. I encourage everyone to take the lead of Jimbo and I and join the band of merry Republicans. We can save the environment by not cutting down trees for books! End fascism by not knowing what it or anything else is! 9-11! WHOO! And to anyone who disagrees with my or Jimbo's posts, you are probably a eugenicist. And by fascist I mean lefty. And by lefty I mean eugenicist. And by eugenicist I mean fascist. It has come full circle.

1. Albert Says:
   November 13th, 2007 at 23:28

   In reality, if you look at the stats; the dumb, poor, uneducated in America are no longer having large families. They have more or less the same birthrates as the educated, fairly intelligent middle and upper classes.
   America is only growing fast in population because of unusually high immigration rates in recent years.
   If immigration were put back to it's normal modest level, there would only be slight population growth.
   So it is a myth that the country is getting dumber. It isn't necessarily getting alot smater either. There are plenty of dumb people and entertainment, but is also alot of intelligent people and entertainment.
   There are a number of very intelligent movies and tv stations on cable, as well as the stupid ones.
   If you want to find intelligent books, movies, tv, cable tv, etc. you can find it.

1. Albert Says:
   November 13th, 2007 at 23:28

   In reality, if you look at the stats; the dumb, poor, uneducated in America are no longer having large families. They have more or less the same birthrates as the educated, fairly intelligent middle and upper classes.
   America is only growing fast in population because of unusually high immigration rates in recent years.
   If immigration were put back to it's normal modest level, there would only be slight population growth.
   So it is a myth that the country is getting dumber. It isn't necessarily getting alot smater either. There are plenty of dumb people and entertainment, but is also alot of intelligent people and entertainment.
   There are a number of very intelligent movies and tv stations on cable, as well as the stupid ones.
   If you want to find intelligent books, movies, tv, cable tv, etc. you can find it.

1. Bob Says:
   December 5th, 2007 at 23:48

   The movie was 86 minutes long. <~Talking of first reply.

1. Natalya Says:
   December 6th, 2007 at 14:09

   I just loved it!

1. aaron guerra Says:
   December 9th, 2007 at 18:58

   i liked it also

1. not sure Says:
   December 19th, 2007 at 15:53

   Anyone who didn't find this movie a continues laugh riot, can "Sit your Monkey ass down"

1. paddyIRL Says:
   January 20th, 2008 at 21:14

   i enjoyed this film although the download audio went outta sync a bit, unfortunate but wadya gonna do, the price of a free flick ehhh!
   i agree with many of the older comments, it would have been nice to see a progression of events after the over breeding& under breeding couples, i think it misses the mark when it jumps 500years ahead without much political/social explanation.
   the think which interests me is that acording to Wiki out of a possible 2500+ theatres this film only ran in 125 (in 8-10 citys) around the u.s recouperated around $450,000. , the expences of this film were listed as 25-35million and i believe if it was given a countrywide release it would have surly recouped its costs
   part of me sees this as a way to kill off mike juges finacial bankability and because his cites gatorade/starbucks/wrestling/monster-trucks& inane t.v i belive this movie is a threat to many interests & thus it benifits those to keep it out of circulation.
   im from ireland and glad to be able to see this film, we tend to only get the bankable movies from the u's sometimes months after their release (example 'no country for old men is only out here now -late jan 08)
   however thanks to this beloved internet we can decide what we want to see, praise for judge's courage to do this but i hope he is not discredited too much because the company can just say to him :-"Mike this film didnt make our costs back im sorry were not making anymore of your films,'
   apparently hollywood is very serious on covering costs of films made and this hasnt done it but obviously to anyone who has seen it would know that if it got a country wide release and a release in europe it would have made loads of bucks............conflict of interest methinks!?!?
   its a shame because this film has things to say but it was gagged.

1. Bob R. Says:
   April 14th, 2008 at 02:27

   When I first heard about this film from friends I was looking forward to seeing it because there have been so many times I walked out of movies or was disgusted when flipping through TV shows because of how "low" and dumb the the entertainment, etc. was. Too bad, this movie has a lot of savage satire in it, and Luke Wilson is a good actor, but it is all animated by a very ugly and false premise.
   The idea that the human race is in danger of degenerating because "stupid" people breed too much has been around since before the Nazis but they certainly championed the idea and believed in it fervently (google what's now referred to as the pseudo science of "eugenics") .
   If you think that is an exaggeration or over stating things ask yourself if the premise of the movie is true, what's the solution? Mass sterilization of the "stupid" (which judging from the introduction basically means working class or lower class) and breeding programs for the "smart". That was official policy during the 1930s in Germany.
   The funny thing is that Judge gets it exactly wrong as to who are the main culprits in the very real dumbing down of U.S. society and culture generally. The educated, professional looking couple with the IQ of 138 and 141 who are the "good people" in the intro to the movie are the ones cutting funding to education, cutting educational grants, cutting taxes that fund local schools, sending jobs overseas so that whole communities degenerate socially.
   The "smart people" also sit in media/advertising corporate offices, conceiving, funding and creating the stupid TV programing, the dumb movies, etc. You know, the kind of people Mike Judge works with and for and who have made him rich.
   Hmm, no wonder he can't seem to see who the real culprits are.
   

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