Drillbit Taylor...

How does one recomend a comedy? Do you base it on if it is a good movie, in say, a plot sense? Do you base it on if you care about what happens? Or is it simply on if it makes you laugh? Over the past couple of years, Judd Apatow and his crew have turned out some of the most critically acclaimed comedies of their respective years. However, as of late, with films like Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, he and his group have been in a rut. Does Drillbit mark their return to greatness?

Not by a long shot. Drillbit Taylor stars Owen Wilson as the title character, a homeless guy who needs to scrounge up some money to take a trip to Canada. This story starts with an introduction to two freinds, Wade and Ryan, about to embark on their first day of highschool. This is a piffy exchange similar to that of the opening of Superbad, just a lot more PG. They then go to school, only to run into two bullies, Filkins and Ronnie. The two bullies attack a kid and then the tall and lanky Wade steps in to try and stop them. From their on the three kids are consistently harrassed by the two bullies. Then, when an ad goes out for a budget bodyguard, Drillbit comes running in. He is hired, and steals some stuff from the kids to try and pawn off. However, he begins to like the kids, and then it goes straight on from there. Now, what was good about this movie?

To keep it short and sweet, not a whole lot. Leslie Mann is really gorgeous, and she has a few funny bits here and there. Lisa Lampenelli makes a cameo, and she is pretty good, and there is a really interesting romance between Wade and this freshman girl, Brooke, which is just awkward enough and just sweet enough to make it work. This film just overall doesn't work. The two bullies, played by Alex Frost and Josh Peck are toned way to dark and harsh, almost like a dumbed down version of say, the Columbine kids, and, ironically, Alex Frost actually starred in Gus Van Sandt's Elephant, based on that shooting. They aren't as violent, but when they do harass the kids, they play it to over the top, and it really hurts the film. Also, Owen Wilson is not good in this role. We've seen this all before. It's like his character from You, Me, and Dupree, meets My Bodyguard (which is also mentioned in the film by an appearence from Adam Baldwin, the bodyguard in that similar film). It's just tired and toned to dark. Costant fights, no parents or school officials are around, tired and piffy discussions between kids that should be in school, and overall it really just doesn't work. It was written by Seth Rogen, who also wrote Superbad, and this is just that, Superbad: The Freshman Years. It was originally thought up by classic '80's Director, John Hughes, and it should have stayed with him. This is not a good film, not even a mediocre one. Just stay away.

Go see something good...