After unfortunately meeting Filkins during their first day at high school, Ryan, Wade and Emmit are anything but excited about the next four years of their life. You see, Filkins is the school bully and will stop at nothing to make sure that the three freshmen live in fear while at school. Wanting to stop the constant pain, the three boys seek out some protection by placing an ad in the Soldier of Fortune magazine. Though the responses are high in quantity, the quality is lacking quite a bit; that is until Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson) shows up. Though in reality he is a bum who lives his life on the beach, to the three boys seeking protection, he is a guardian angel that just might keep them alive. But how long is Taylor willing to keep his story going and how long will it take for the boys to figure out the truth? Either way, both sides are in for some big surprises.
Though it had some good moments, Drillbit Taylor ultimately fell short as it reminded me more of a 90s Adam Sandler comedy than anything else.
My first major problem with Drillbit Taylor was its story and style. Taking three teenagers and having them seek professional help from a high school bully is nothing extraordinary; however, it did have some potential. Yet every scene in which the film could have taken off with some good laughs, Owen Wilson failed to deliver. I am not sure if it was the script or the delivery by the actors, but somewhere along the line a major hiccup occurred. Even as I was watching the film, it reminded me of an early Adam Sandler film, but here, the star of the film failed to create any humor with his lines.
Additionally I have to comment on the casting. While the films two leads, Owen Wilson and Leslie Mann, are both somewhat respectable names, the three boys were absolutely worthless. Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile and Ian Roberts would have never been friends in real, nor would they have acted so awkward and unnatural on their first day of school, it just wouldn't have happen. Throw in some other not-so-pleasant performances by Beth Littleford and Lisa Lampanelli and you have yourself a cast that could and probably should have worked but somehow didn't.
In the end I have to say that I was extremely unimpressed with Drillbit Taylor. At a time when the public has been introduced to such stellar comedies in Juno and Superbad, there just isn't room for mediocre attempts like these. There is just too much other stuff out there for the fans to enjoy. It is really that simple.
