Drilbit Taylor Movie Review

Owen Wilson Puts His Body on the Line for a Trio of Opressed Teens

Dec 28, 2008

A homeless man uses all his charisma and cunning to con a group of pubescent boys, into paying him, in return for his protection against a pair of high school bullies.

Drillbit Taylor, follows the woes of two pubescent best friends, Wade, and Ryan, who find their pre-conceptions of high school shattered, by the persistence of senior bully, Filkins, played by Alex Frost (Stop-Loss) and his side-kick, Ronnie, Josh Peck (The Wackness).

Despite their greatest efforts, Wade, played by Nate Hartley (Role Models), and Ryan, Troy Gentile (Good Luck Chuck), are unable to quell the violent and humiliating advances of their attackers. With the aid of their new and equally tormented ally, Emmit, played by David Dorfman (The Ring), the trio embark on a mission to find a suitable bodyguard to protect them from their aggressors.

During their interviews for a potential bodyguard, the boys reveal to their would-be candidates that they are only able to offer the successful candidate a nominal fee for his/her services, which deters the majority of the interviewees. Enter funnyman Owen Wilson (You, Me, and Dupree), who plays Drillbit Taylor, a homeless conman who lives in a tent, and sees his opportunity to exploit a niche which his conning buddies have not yet explored. Wilson’s character uses his employers’ trust to steal from them, whilst posing as an ex-soldier with advanced combat skills.

Despite Taylor’s actual lack of combat expertise, he is able to instill some much needed self-confidence in Wade, Ryan and Emmit, which forces them to start tackling their problems themselves, at times without the assistance of Drilbit.

When the boys learn of Drillbit’s initial deceit, they lose faith in him, and Drillbit is forced to turn his back on his old, opportunistic lifestyle, in exchange for regaining the trust of his newly found friends.

Just Say NO to Bullies

Brilliant comedian/writer Seth Rogen teams up with Kristofer Brown to present a refreshing perspective on the timeless battle of high school bully versus vulnerable geek. As this film deals with the pressures of finding a place in the cut-throat hierarchy of adolescent education, audiences of all ages; current adolescents all the way up to the big kids who never really grew-up, will be able to find a bit of themselves in the characters which have been created so multi-dimensionally, and as equally well interpreted by a talented, up-and-coming young cast.

All’s Well That Ends Well

In a day and age where bullying amongst children and young adults has been shown to be on the rise with the advancement of technologies which offer new ways to torment peers, it is good that a hilarious stance be taken on a social ill. What the film could however be guilty of, is sugarcoating a problem which some children face on a daily basis, therefore creating the perception that such actions are socially acceptable.

The Verdict

Hilarious dialogue delivered by one of the industry’s greatest comedians, combined with a farfetched and imaginative storyline, make for some great light entertainment. Young stars Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile, and David Dorfman, surely have jubilant careers ahead of them as either comedic or dramatic actors.

4/5 Stars

Cast

The copyright of the article Drilbit Taylor Movie Review in Comic Films is owned by Ben Hetherington. Permission to republish Drilbit Taylor Movie Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.