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 five centuries in the future. He discovers a society so incredibly dumbed down that he's easily the most intelligent person alive.
Officer Collins has been spearheading one of the US Army's most secretive experiments to date: the Human Hibernation Project. If successful, the project would store its subjects indefinitely until they are needed most. Their first test subject - Joe Bauers - was not chosen for his superiority. Instead, he's chosen because he's the most average guy in the armed services. But scandal erupts after the experiment takes place, the base is closed, and the president disavows any knowledge of the project. Unfortunately Joe doesn't wake up in a year, he wakes up in 500 years! But during that time human evolution has taken a dramatic down turn. After waking up, Joe takes a prison-assigned IQ test and finds that he's the smartest guy alive! Awaiting a full presidential pardon if he can solve one of the country's biggest problems - the dwindling plant population, Joe races against time to solve this problem. But in doing so he alienates half the country in the process! Can he make things right ...Written by
halo1k
There is a brief scene after the credits. See more »
Goofs
During the Costco scene when Joe first sees the Starbucks, the sign says
Latte: $2,000
Extra foam: $500,000,000.
In the next scene however, the sign says
Latte: $200
"Hot" latte: $2,000
"Full body" latte: $50,000. See more »
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 ...
See more »
Crazy Credits
A note near the end of the credits says "This film was also cut entirely on a computer". See more »
This movie was quite a pleasant surprise. I had anticipated it for a long time, and was afraid going in that it couldn't possibly live up to my expectations.
It exceeded them.
I adored this movie.
Hilarious from start to finish (stay until after the end credits!), it is absolutely remarkable how a movie about dumb and annoying characters can be so intelligent, witty, and engaging.
With it's obvious matte paintings, the movie's future Earth recalls the Planet of the Apes series and other Sci-Fi movies of that era.
In fact, this movie is essentially Planet of the Apes, but with people who are the mental equivalent of apes.
It moves at a fairly brisk pace, and Luke Wilson carries the movie quite well, with a character that recalls the one he played in "Bottle Rocket." (There's even a not-so-subtle nod to "Bottle Rocket" in an early scene).
Maya Rudoulph is also surprisingly good as a former "painter" who was frozen as well.
Despite all its strengths, "Idiocracy" has the distinct feel of a movie that was taken away from the director/editor before it could be fine-tuned.
I cannot for the life of me understand why a movie this funny would just be dumped into a few theaters with no advanced screenings, no trailers, no marketing whatsoever.
It's as if the studio decided they were not going to spend any more on it and just walked away.
Or maybe they thought the movie had the makings of a cult classic, and the only way for it to become a true cult classic was to set it up to fail?
Whatever the case, it is a shame, because Mike Judge and this film in particular deserve better.
I predict this movie will have real legs on DVD, and word of mouth will propel it to the success it deserves.
Perhaps the Fox Executives saw themselves in the characters, were confused, and thought it was a documentary?
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This movie was quite a pleasant surprise. I had anticipated it for a long time, and was afraid going in that it couldn't possibly live up to my expectations.
It exceeded them.
I adored this movie.
Hilarious from start to finish (stay until after the end credits!), it is absolutely remarkable how a movie about dumb and annoying characters can be so intelligent, witty, and engaging.
With it's obvious matte paintings, the movie's future Earth recalls the Planet of the Apes series and other Sci-Fi movies of that era.
In fact, this movie is essentially Planet of the Apes, but with people who are the mental equivalent of apes.
It moves at a fairly brisk pace, and Luke Wilson carries the movie quite well, with a character that recalls the one he played in "Bottle Rocket." (There's even a not-so-subtle nod to "Bottle Rocket" in an early scene).
Maya Rudoulph is also surprisingly good as a former "painter" who was frozen as well.
Despite all its strengths, "Idiocracy" has the distinct feel of a movie that was taken away from the director/editor before it could be fine-tuned.
I cannot for the life of me understand why a movie this funny would just be dumped into a few theaters with no advanced screenings, no trailers, no marketing whatsoever.
It's as if the studio decided they were not going to spend any more on it and just walked away.
Or maybe they thought the movie had the makings of a cult classic, and the only way for it to become a true cult classic was to set it up to fail?
Whatever the case, it is a shame, because Mike Judge and this film in particular deserve better.
I predict this movie will have real legs on DVD, and word of mouth will propel it to the success it deserves.
Perhaps the Fox Executives saw themselves in the characters, were confused, and thought it was a documentary?