The Reel Review
An American soldier of remarkably average intelligence takes part in an experimental cryogenic hibernation, waking up 500 years later to discover that excessive breeding among the nation’s idiots has turned America into a nation of easily manipulated morons, where he, with his average IQ, is now the smartest person on the planet. Luke Wilson and Maya Rudolph star in this satirical 2006 dystopian sci-fi/comedy.
Director Mike Judge (King of the Hill, Beavis and Butthead) and his co-writer Etan Cohen clearly had great fun creating this silly, sophomoric satire. It is chocked full of hilarious moments that become apparent in successive viewings. But only two decades after its release, Idiocracy eerily feels more like a documentary correctly predicting the vulgar, dumbed-down America of today. There’s a really stupid pro wrestler who is now president, airplanes are falling out of the sky, homophobia is rampant and everyone shops at an enormous Costco. Sound familiar?
Amidst the silliness there is also more serious and revolting horror – the future America suffers from widespread economic collapse, there are massive food shortages due to the failed decision to use a big salt-infused, corporate sponsored energy drink instead of water to irrigate crops, and the mainstream news media (Fox News, no less) doesn’t inform but rather, panders to the prejudice and stupidity of its viewers. To top it off, by the closing credits, a former prostitute becomes the new First Lady. Wow, give these guys a crystal ball – Idiocracy is happening… today!
REEL FACTS
• At its 2006 release, Idiocracy was not screened for critics and released for only a week in six U.S. cities, presumably because 20th Century Fox feared the dumbing down themes and anti-corporate spin would offend both viewers and the businesses (Starbucks, Fuddruckers, Costco, Fox News, etc.) satirized in the film. It has since become a cult classic similar to Mike Judge’s 1999 workplace satire Office Space.
• In 2016, Mike Judge compared the eerily prophetic story and his pro wrestler president to Donald Trump, joking “I’m no prophet, I was off by 490 years.”
• Mike Judge says he came up with the idea for Idiocracy while seeing two mothers, with kids in strollers, fighting and cursing at one another at Disneyland.
Video & Photo
Great review!