TrueJoshNight
Truly Dreadful Film
Redwarmin
This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place
Ella-May O'Brien
Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
EBJ
'OFFICE SPACE' - 1999Directed by Mike JudgeStarring Ron Livingston, Jennifer Anniston and Gary Cole Plot Overview: After mindless working drone Peter Gibbons(Ron Livingston) gets hypnotised, forgetting all his worries, him and a group of recently fired friends batch together to steal money from their former company, a fraction of a penny at a time.I mean this film isn't bad. It is fine. But only that. The balance between hits and misses is exactly that, a balance. Some jokes emit laughter while equally as many emit cringe. It isn't a good movie by any means but it also isn't a bad movie. I don't think I've ever seen a movie I can legitimately call perfectly average apart from this. It is just average. I don't know what else I can say to sum it up.Let's start off positive. The story is good. I like it, and I like the fact that it is designed to be a satirical comment on office jobs. It's an interesting idea that was executed with mild effectiveness. It's a plain and simple story but I admire the simplicity to it. Purely character driven is a good thing and definitely made the movie feel more realistic and plausible. I really love the ending. It is a consequence of a previous joke and it is so, so cathartic.Ron Livingtston was good in the movie as Peter Gibbons. Gary Cole was great as Bill Lumbergh. Yeah... he was a perfectly loathsome antagonist and did his job very well... M'Kay. Stepjem Root was great as Milton. I was disappointed in Anniston's performance and I just saw her as a run of the mill, generic love interest. She wasn't appealing or interesting. Aside from them four, the performances ranged from mediocre to poor.It is a competently shot and edited. It is very simplistic and I admire that in a way. It is very cathartic and requires little analysis. This peculiar style fits in with the more relaxed, laid back attitude of the film and it's lead.Mow for the humour. The MOST crucial aspect of a Comedy film, is its humour. And I must confess I was disappointed. Not to say there were no funny or clever jokes, there most certainly were and when it was both clever and witty, it succeeded exponentially. But the great jokes aren't that frequent. They come occasionally amidst a slog of poor, bland and generic humour. This was the key downfall of the film for me. I was not amused.As a whole, I do definitely admire the simplicity of everything about this movie and find it very cathartic and in line with the film's plot but it just didn't provide enough for me to truly enjoy it. I can VERY cautiously recommend this movie because it isn't awful; it just isn't that good either. I'll rate this film 5 'Staplers' out of 10 and a very mild recommendation because you may get more enjoyment out of it than I did.
SlyGuy21
I've never worked in an office setting before, but I would imagine it's not the most exciting job. That's what makes "Office Space" truly amazing, it takes the mundane environment of working in a cubicle prison, and cranks it up to hilarious levels. From the multiple references to the TPS reports, Lumbergh's monotone voice, the copier that never works, people saying the same things day after day, and annoying co-workers. If this were any other movie, these would probably all be overdone and cease to be funny, but "Office Space" gets it just right. There are so many great scenes in this, I can't name many comedies where the opening scene had me in stitches. And the stitches don't stop, except for very rare moments. The only real problem I had was Milton, I know he's a quirky character, but I found his muttering and stammering too much. I started to get tired of it by around 3/4 into the movie. But, just because I wasn't too entertained by him for the last quarter of the movie, doesn't mean his earlier scenes were ruined for me. A very well done comedy that's managed to stay funny for so long because almost everyone can relate to it.
Abby Watts
One of the classic spoofs of corporate work. Mike Judge nails the monotony, the pettiness, and general stupidity of the TEAM CORPORATION! environment that corporations create. Look, we understand, we have to work for you, but don't for godsakes make us sing a song every morning or go on some retarded company retreat. And most of all, stop telling us we're part of a team or, even worse, part of a family. You are not my family. My family can't fire me. You can. So. Stop. It.The hollowness and absurdity of modern corporate life is brilliantly portrayed here and even though this movie was made in the late 90's, it still resonates perfectly for today.Mike Judge would go on to make what I consider his Magnum Opus, 'Idiocracy' (one of the greatest comedies ever made), but this was a fantastic waystation.I believe you have my stapler?
LeonLouisRicci
Virtually Ignored at the Box-Office, Barely Breaking Even, this Sharp Satire is a Winner on all fronts and has since become a Cult Movie and its Reputation has Grown Yearly.Mike Judge Delivers a Low-Key and somewhat Subtle Film that is Written with a Dry Wit and almost Deadpan Display of the Human Condition, Circa 1999. It is the Cubically Challenged Software Designers that are Clustered away in the Corporate Scheme of Things that are the Subject of this Intellectual Comedy.Everything here seems to Hit all the Right Notes and Nothing Distracts from its Relentless and Smoothly Paced Entertainment with a Twist Ending. It is Miles Away from the Gross Out Types and Adam Sandler Bore-a-Thons that Infest Multi-Plexes Routinely.There is Nothing Boring Here. It Captivates with its Clever take on the Frustrations of its Characters. The whole Cast is Spot-On and Mike Judge makes the most of its Small Budget with the Colorful Artificiality of the Sets. From Ridiculous Banner Hangings in the Cube Farm to the Flair of the Plastic Fronts put on in the Restaurants in the Hopes that the "Atmosphere" will Attract Burger Buyers that have so many Choices.The Ending Comes Out of Nowhere and is quite a Slap in the Face to the many Love-Able Characters that are Slapped in the Face Routinely by Their Bosses that Don't Have a Clue. Our Heroes are Never Given any Respect as Human Beings or even Valued Employees.Almost Everything Stays with You after all is said and done. The Office Machine, the Suspenders, the "Happy Accident", the Workers Interactions, the Neighbor next door, the Stapler, the Waitress with a Flip, the Hypnotherapy Session and its aftermath, and On and On.A Bonafide Classic of its Kind.
