Idiocracy (2006)

Director:

Mike Judge

Writers (WGA):

Mike Judge (story)
Mike Judge (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 January 2007 (Germany)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The Future Is A No Brainer

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Hibernation | Experiment | Future | Arrest | Army

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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
Justin Long	...	Doctor
Heath Jones	...	Cop #1
Eli Muñoz	...	Horny Guy
Patrick Fischler	...	Yuppie Husband

Also Known As:

3001 (USA) (working title)
Untitled Mike Judge Comedy (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sex-related humor.

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-13 | Germany:12 | USA:R (certificate #41505) | Argentina:13 | Italy:T | New Zealand:R13 | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The presidential RV has the number 28000, which is the real FAA tail number for Air Force One.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Joe is put to sleep in the hibernation pod he has IV tubes in his arms. When the pod opens again and he gets out there are no IV tubes.

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...

Movie Connections:

References "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (1979)

Soundtrack:

Squadron Airborne

A wonderful film - one of my favorites!

This movie is "the" stupid comedy of the year, and quite possibly the best thing from Mike Judge since "Office Space". If you are a Mike Judge fan, or enjoy shows like Futurama, then you are doing yourself a grave disservice by skipping over this little known, limited release. Although the DVD touts very few "bonus features", this film is certainly funny enough to make up for it's perceived "lack of value".

This movie is about an army grunt by the name of Joe Bowers (played by Luke Wilson) who is part of a top secret Army experiment designed to preserve Army personnel in peace time so that they can be thawed in war time to fight for our country. However, things take an interesting turn as the general in charge of the operation is busted in a prostitution ring and the experiment is all but forgotten. Bowers, and his sidekick Rita (played by Maya Rudolph) both find themselves awake in the year 2505, where through the course of natural selection, the population of America has grown increasingly stupid. Now Joe and Rita have to find their way to a time machine to get back to the year 2005 with the help of Frito (played by Dax Shepard).

What I really enjoyed about this movie was Mike Judge's comedic satire on the course of US History over the last 50 years, and how mankind progresses over the subsequent 500 years. This is most evidenced by the advertising in the movie, which has become a staple of the American culture. With shows like South Park in the mainstream media, it's easy to see how conclusions could be drawn that in the future, profanity has become a marketing tool. This is portrayed in the film humorously with subtle things such as "Fudd-Ruckers" changing their name to "Butt-F###ers", and a billboard which displays the advertisement "If you don't smoke Tarryltons... F### You!". I also cannot stop laughing at Carls Jr.'s role in this future, with their slogan "F### you... I'm eating", and their automated kiosks self-advertising their "Extra Big-A## Tacos". (with more molecules)! This film contained everything I go to the movies for. Excellent, sharp, witty comedy, as well as an engrossing plot make this DVD one for the ages. Be warned, however. If you are not a fan of Mike Judge, did not care for "Beavis and Butthead", or do not have a sense of humor, then this movie probably isn't a good match for you. Otherwise, I would say this is probably the funniest movie to come out of 2506... I mean 2006.