Idiocracy (2006)

Private Joe Bauers, the definition of "average American", is selected by the Pentagon to be the guinea pig for a top-secret hibernation program. Forgotten, he awakes 500 years in the future. He discovers a society so incredibly dumbed-down that he's easily the most intelligent person alive.

Director:

Mike Judge

Writers:

Mike Judge (story), Mike Judge (screenplay),

Stars:

Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Luke Wilson	...	Joe Bauers
Maya Rudolph	...	Rita
Dax Shepard	...	Frito
Terry Crews	...	President Camacho (as Terry Alan Crews)
Anthony 'Citric' Campos	...	Secretary of Defense
David Herman	...	Secretary of State
Sonny Castillo	...	Prosecutor
Kevin McAfee	...	Bailiff (as Kevin S. McAfee)
Robert Musgrave	...	Sgt. Keller
Michael McCafferty	...	Officer Collins (as Mike McCafferty)
Christopher Ryan	...	Hospital Technician (as Ryan Melton)
Justin Long	...	Doctor
Heath Jones	...	Cop #1
Eli Muñoz	...	Horny Guy
Patrick Fischler	...	Yuppie Husband

Storyline

The purpose of the program set up by the Pentagon, called the "Human Hibernation Project," is designed so that the military can save their best men for when they're needed most. According to the officers heading the project, too many times the talents and expensive training of the best pilots and soldiers go to waste during times of peace. So they enlist Bauers (Wilson), the most under-achieving average guy they've got, to be the test subject for the initial hibernation experiment. Also participating in the top-secret program is Rita (Rudolph), a prostitute who agreed to take part in exchange for dropping some criminal charges against her, among other things. Of course, the experiment, which was to last only a year, goes under due to the arrest of Officer Collins, who is busted for heading a prostitution ring. Seeing as though he was in charge of the experiment, one of the only ones who knew of its existence, and "due to a lot of top-secret red tape... and the massive scandals and ...

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Plot Keywords:

hibernation | experiment | future | army | arrest | 

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Taglines:

In the future, intelligence is extinct.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sex-related humor

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 January 2007 (Germany)

Also Known As:

3001

Filming Locations:

Austin Convention Center - 500 E. Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$177,559 (USA) (1 September 2006)

Gross:

$438,653 (USA) (29 September 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Ternion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby DTS (as dts)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the marketing campaign for this film went unnoticed, 20th Century Fox decided to actually license out the "Brawndo" drink for sale. The drink itself has gained a cult following, though it is no longer available for purchase at www.brawndo.com.

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Goofs

In the crop field, when the Secretary of Education fires the machine gun on the top of the truck, its feeding belt doesn't move.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: As the 21st century began, human evolution was at a turning point. Natural selection, the process by which the strongest, the smartest, the fastest, reproduced in greater numbers than the rest, a process which had once favored the noblest traits of man, now began to favor different traits. Most science fiction of the day predicted a future that was more civilized and more intelligent. But as time went on, things seemed to be heading in the opposite direction. A dumbing down. How ...

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Crazy Credits

A note near the end of the credits says "This film was also cut entirely on a computer".

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Connections

References WWE Smackdown! (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Squadron Airborne"
Written by Bruce Campbell
Courtesy of Associated Production Music, LLC

User Reviews

Loved it, one of the funniest movies in 2006

Shame on Fox for dumping this movie. It was a total riot and I only hope that it will find a second life on DVD and cable.

This is a hilarious satire. It takes the "What if" situation to an extreme and it doesn't pull any punches (or kicks to the groin). It makes you think... what is to become of this empire once we've gotten totally to lazy and stupid? Everyone gets hit in this one esp. a number of major corporations, and even Fox News takes a punch(which is probably why the movie never had a proper release - other than the marketing department over thinking the campaign and not knowing how to market it "so we'll just give up!") Some may find the movie sophomoric, due to the groin kicking, and farting, but the movie is much more than that. You either get what Mike Judge is saying, or you don't. Most of the negative reviews I've read seem to come from people who just don't get it or are film snobs.

It'll probably play for one week in the selected markets so if you miss it, keep an eye out for the DVD, it'll be worth the rental and I will eventually have it in my collection.

Good Job Mike Judge, it's a shame that you got screwed, but you made me laugh out loud and I look forward to the next movie you do.