Drillbit Taylor movie review

Written by Sean McBride

Sunday, 23 March 2008

“Drillbit Taylor” Paramount Pictures Directed by Steven Brill Starring Owen Wilson, Troy Gentile, David Doorfman, Nate Hartley, Leslie Mann, Alex Frost and Danny McBride Rated PG-13   1 ½ Stars         First things first: it’s nice to see Owen Wilson back up on the big screen. I enjoy his laid-back and quirky performance style and always look forward to seeing him, even though his films aren’t always the greatest cinematic achievements. So it’s certainly good to see him again, but sadly, not so good to see him in another dud of a movie. Wilson plays the title character of “Drillbit Taylor,” a homeless dude trying to survive by using his dubious wits and charm. One day he sees an online ad from three high school geeks who are looking to hire a soldier of fortune to protect them from a vicious school bully (Alex Frost). Drillbit takes the job, hoping for a quick influx of cash, and decides that the best way to at least pretend to protect the kids is to pose as a substitute teacher—turns out that school administrators won’t question strangers on school property as long as they are well-dressed and carry a coffee mug with them at all times. Can the master of slinging bull tame the bully? Will Drillbit forswear his selfish ways and bond with his three geeky protectees? And what about the lovelorn English teacher (Leslie Mann) who is immediately smitten by the undercover con man? I suspect that most audiences know the answer to these questions even before the movie starts. Indeed, the film is very predictable, playing like an update of “My Bodyguard” as seen through a Judd Apatow filter, minus the raunchy humor. “Drillbit Taylor” is much cleaner than might be expected from a screenplay penned by Seth Rogan, but it’s also surprisingly tame, opting for easy laughs that simply don’t resonate. Nobody will ever mistake “Drillbit Taylor” for the sequel to “Superbad.”  Also problematic is the story that can’t decide if it should focus on Drillbit or on the nerdy trio of kids. Split up this way, the story meanders back and forth and never develops any real momentum. Mix in the mediocre jokes and a cast that is game, but not overly inspired and you’re left with a film that’s a real letdown considering the filmmaking team involved here. Sorry Seth and Judd, but you guys raised the bar on teen comedies; now you have to live up to your own standards. Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published Wednesdays and Fridays in “The Port Arthur News.” He can be found weekly on KAVU-TV, KFDM-TV, and KVIC Radio. Additional reviews can be found at www.rottentomatoes.com, www.panews.com or at www.myvictoriaonline.com. Sean welcomes your comments via email at smcbride@kavutv.com.