‘Drillbit Taylor’ Survives on Wilson’s Merit
-----After the medical issues Owen Wilson found himself in, it was good to see him back to making us laugh. And while this tale of bullying and bodyguards isn’t epic, it surpasses as fun entertainment with a good number of laughs thanks to the always inspired Owen Wilson.
-----‘Drillbit Taylor’ is the story of three freshman and their first days of High School. Immediately bullied by evil seniors, these younger versions (more or less) of the ‘Superbad’ characters decide to hire a bodyguard. Naturally, the only one they can hire comes form the secretly homeless but enthusiastic, not to mention cheap, Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson).
-----Owen Wilson is the film’s only real star. The kids, as I stated, are basically young versions of the three stars of ‘Superbad.’ Ultimately, this somewhat cliché story of bullying gets life from a hilarious and charming performance from protagonist Owen Wilson. And while he doesn’t always have much to work with in the film, it is good for a number of laughs, at least during the first viewing. He’s the heart and sole of this film, and fortunately it doesn’t make the mistake of dulling that effect with any other distracting stars or characters save him and the kids. One notable small role does come from the comedic Danny McBride as Taylor’s homeless friend. He seems almost too comfortable in the role, and actually does a pretty nice job of conveying a mean-spirited homeless guy.
-----The films bullies are harsh to an almost disgusting level. They’re not just typical pranksters, but seem to really want to hurt these kids. Other than that, there’s not much to say about this comedy about a slacker homeless guy who cons the children he protects. It’s not always memorable, and at times even conventional, but it still effectively uses Wilson for a good number of laughs. His charisma puts this film the notch up it needs to be to pass as good entertainment.
-----If you’re a fan of Owen Wilson you’ll probably have a good time. I you’re not, you’ll hate the film’s guts. Frank, but true. ‘Superbad’ enthusiasts too may also find some fun, agreeably more innocent material with ‘Drillbit Taylor.’ Other than that, there are some hilarious scenes and some slow ones, but if you fall under one of the above categories as a Wilson or ‘Superbad’ fan, you’ll probably get your money’s worth for one viewing. I happen to think Wilson is hilarious, so naturally my opinion is somewhat biased, but you’ve been warned. It’s not great, but it is still pretty fun.
