from Film Forum, 10/12/06
Employee of the Month takes place inside a massive superstore, where a sexy cashier is being pursued by a determined box boy. No, it's not a terribly compelling premise. But the fact that the film stars Dane Cook (Waiting) and cover girl/pop superstar Jessica Simpson guarantees the film box office success … in spite of its bad reviews.
David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) writes, "Director Greg Coolidge blends slapstick, broad comedy and satire to uneven effect, and while the gamesmanship is intermittently amusing, the general vulgarity undermines the story's sweet center."
Marcus Yoars (Plugged In) compares Dane Cook's style of comedy with Jerry Seinfeld's. "Whereas Seinfeld relied heavily on innuendo rather than explicit material, Cook has no problem dousing his routines with foul language and raunchy content." He points to "a barrage of sexual gags, potty humor and raw language," and concludes that this film is "additionally bogged down with a viewpoint that forces us to root for the lesser of two evils."
Mainstream critics aren't buying what this Employee sells.