'Drillbit Taylor' is only a bit funny
By Megan Fishel, Staff Writer
April 2, 2008 | 4:35 p.m.
When three high school freshmen live under the reign of terror of one of the worst bullies since Fidel Castro was in school, Drillbit Taylor comes to the rescue. Well, sort of.
When Ryan (Troy Gentile), Wade (Nate Hartley) and Emmit (David Dorfman) start high school, every day is a new beginning, though rarely is it a pleasant one. Between getting shoved into lockers and a forced public display of underpants that would put Quailman to shame, the boys have had enough.
The less-than-dynamic trio decides it might be best to hire some professional help. Enter none other than Drillbit Taylor himself, played by Owen Wilson. Drillbit is best described as a "home-free" man living off the good people around him and barely getting by day-to-day. That is, until he decides to take the nerd herd under his wing.
This being one of Wilson’s first roles post-suicide attempt, he brings a light and airy aura to the screen that was somewhat unexpected. His performance as the con-artist-turned-genuine man parallels his role in “Wedding Crashers,” though he does it well. Not many men can play a bum on the street and still be considered a heartthrob the way Wilson is. Although his logic seems a bit skewed, his delivery is dead-on, even when he assumes the identity of a substitute teacher, Dr. Illbit.
Local bully Filkins is played by Alex Frost, who is no stranger to roles as the "bad guy." Frost's breakthrough role in "Elephant," a film that recreates the tragic events of the Columbine High School shooting, may have typecast him as a disturbed type. His cronie, Ronnie, is played by former Nickelodeon star Josh Peck. Slimmed down and grown up, Peck has been able to shake the nice-guy image and accept more challenging roles. He is, however, a man of few words in "Drillbit."
From writers Seth Rogen ("Superbad") and Kristofor Brown ("The Tom Green Show"), "Drillbit" had quite a bit to live up to, considering Rogen's recent popularity. The characters almost seem like Seth, Evan and Fogell of "Superbad," the early years. The casting of Ryan very closely parallels Jonah Hill as Seth in "Superbad," yet he does bring his own brand of funny that somehow resembles a big-time mafia man trapped in a high schooler’s body.
Director Steven Brill has brought comedies to the screen such as "Without a Paddle," "Mr. Deeds" and '90s favorite, "Heavy Weights." "Drillbit" has the same lighthearted, family-friendly comedy feel with a pinch of crude humor here and there. You know, if Owen Wilson's naked ass is considered crude.
A totally unexpected addition to the film is the humorous guest appearance of Lisa Lampinelli, who supports the less-than-credible men she always brags about, um, “supporting.”
Perhaps a night will come when beer guzzling just is not as appealing to the young kids as it used to be and kicking back to a good ol’ clean-cut comedy will be entertaining enough. If this somehow is the case, consider "Drillbit Taylor" among the candidates in which to invest that hard-earned $6.50.
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"Drillbit Taylor"
Speakeasy Rating: B-
Runtime: 1 hour, 42 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for crude sexual references throughout, strong bullying, language, drug references and partial nudity
Genre: Comedy