EXTRACT

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As prolific as writer/director Mike Judge has been throughout a stellar career which includes such television staples as "Beevis and Butt-Head' and "King of the Hill," it's to his detriment (and ours) that he hasn't done more feature films.

"Office Space" (1999) became a cult classic after the fact of its failed theatrical release. "Idiocracy" (2006) did the same in spite of its mistreatment by distributors.

With "Extract," Judge crafts a solid comic narrative base for a flavoring-extract company run by sexually frustrated owner Joel Reynold (well played by Jason Bateman).

Reynold's staff of barely competent blue-collar workers set off a chain reaction accident that climaxes with a severed testicle for would-be floor-manager Step (Clifton Collins Jr.).

Step falls prey to the con-artist attentions of Cindy (Mila Kunis), a sex-kitten opportunist determined to help Step sue the Reynold Extract company right out of business.

Joel adds to his headaches when, in a drugged-out state, he takes his barkeep pal Dean's (Ben Affleck) bad advice to hire a gigolo to sleep with his sexually closed-off wife Suzie (Kristen Wiig), so that he [Joel] can then cheat on Suzie with impunity. The tone of the comedy is spot-on but Judge never manages to bring the humor to a boil.

There are chuckles to be had and even a few belly laughs but "Extract" can't help but pale to Judd Apatow's work that has set the bar high for this kind of comedy.

Nonetheless, you get the sense that if Mike Judge made more pictures, he'd hit his stride alongside the likes of Apatow pretty quick.

(Miramax) Rated R. 90 mins.