17 March 2000 | TeaBunny

Workplace satire sans the trite cliches!

Hooray for Mike Judge! I didn't think there would be a way to make fun of "office life" without merely being a living Dilbert strip and using all of the same tired old workplace jokes. Kids in the Hall did it, and now Mike Judge has done it also. I am surprised to see Jennifer Aniston in a movie this entertaining! The use of hardcore gangsta rap as the soundtrack to the boys' underhanded deeds and violent ass-kicking of office equipment is hilarious and brilliant. Gary Cole's droning delivery and poor Milton's despondent mumbling doesn't get old... in fact it stays very funny. We all know someone who obsesses a little TOO much about their chair, or how many paper clips they have on their desk... and Milton makes you feel a bit of sad sympathy, especially when he doesn't get any cake. Peter's cronies Michael and Samir are classic software engineer guys that could work at any company, and Peter's construction-worker neighbor (Oswald!) is a refreshing change from the white-collar drones that infest his day. In the end Peter discovers this is the way to go... fresh air, hard labor and a bright orange vest in the perfect antidote to ummm... yeah... that would be great.... this movie is great, whether you're an office worker or not. It makes you think about all the millions and millions of damn cubicles out there... and all the people that fill them. How many of them feel suffocated and hopeless? If this film makes even ONE person take a day off and go fishing, it's done it's job.