Drillbit Taylor

There comes a time in every comedic actor's career when they cast aside the old Hollywood adage of "never work with children" and they... agree to work with children. This almost always has a horrible outcome, but Owen Wilson does his best to succeed where so many actors have failed before. And it kind of works.

I ignored all the warning signs for Drillbit Taylor and focused on the names attached to this project while making my decision to rent it. Judd Apatow, Seth Rogan, John Hughes (Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller's Day Off) and Steven Brill (director of Heavyweights) all have their names on the back of the box so I figured I would give it a shot.

From the opening sequences we learn that our two young leading men are about to embark on their first day of high school. Worried about being popular and about avoiding bullies they set out to make their first day the best it can be. All of their planning goes to waste when Wade tries to stop two bullies from picking on the nerdiest kid in school and now all three of the boys face a year of torment at the hands of an 18 year old high schooler and Josh from Nickelodeon's Drake and Josh. So the kids hire Drillbit Taylor an ex Black Ops soldier to be their bodyguard, only problem is Taylor isn't who he says he is.

The jokes are funny for the most part. The movie relies heavily on slapstick and has its fair share of obvious Seth Rogan comparison humor (you look like _____, it's kind of like ______). If you think its funny to watch little kids get punched around and use swear words you'll like Drillbit Taylor. It's a funny movie, you may not roll on the floor laughing but you will get a kick out of the dialogue and the situations the boys find themselves in. And you can't argue with a Blade Runner reference (probably another Seth Rogan joke). Owen Wilson's character probably could have been played by anyone, he does a good job, but the characters of Ryan and Wade make the movie. The final showdown between the boys and the bullies is hilarious. I would recommend this movie for this scene alone.

Bottom line is Drillbit Taylor is a cute and funny movie that probably should have been a lot worse. If you were a fan of Heavyweights I suggest you check this one out. Drillbit Taylor surprised me and hopefully it will surprise you too. The only thing that could have made this movie better would have been a Kennan Thompson cameo, but then I wouldn't have had anything to complain about.

Drillbit Taylor gets 3/5.

-Dude, That Movie Sucked