Mike Judge’s “Extract” is an amiable mess of a movie held together mostly by leading man Jason Bateman.

Judge, of course, was the brain behind “Office Space,” considered by many to be a great movie comedy about workplace discontent.

But while that 1999 film took the side of long-suffering employees, “Extract” sympathizes with a put-upon boss.

Bateman plays Joel, owner and operator of a factory that produces extracts – vanilla, root beer and other flavorings. Joel has built his business from scratch over 20 years. He treats his employees well and is reluctant to fire even the most incompetent and lazy.

But now Joel wonders if it has been worth the effort.

An offer from a big multinational to buy the company has generated a rebellion among the ungrateful employees, who think they should get a stake in the business. Plus, the possibility of a lawsuit by an employee injured on the job – he lost a testicle (don’t ask) – could put the kibosh on the whole deal.

Meanwhile a con artist (an underutilized Mila Kunis) has taken a job on the assembly line and begun an affair with the injured employee, manipulating the poor dumb cluck to sue for big-league damages.

And if all this weren’t bad enough, Joel and his wife, Suzie (Kristen Wiig), haven’t had sex for months.

Joel’s best friend, bartender Dean (a hirsute Ben Affleck), suggests that perhaps Suzie is having an affair. He devises a test, hiring a priapic gigolo (Dustin Milligan) to pose as a sexy new pool boy to gauge Suzie’s fidelity.

What could go wrong with that plan?

“Extract” is filled with funny individual moments, including what may be the most hilarious pot-smoking scene ever, but narratively it’s a botched job – little plot, no compelling conflict, paper-thin characterizations.

And while it positions itself as satire, the film has no teeth.

Still, there’s considerable pleasure in watching Bateman take a fairly bland character and imbue him with personality, humor and even a dash of pathos.

EXTRACT

2 1/2 stars

Director: Mike Judge

Cast: Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Kristen Wiig

Rated: R for language, sexual references and some drug use

Running time: 1:41