Written by: Chuck at 4:18 am
Filed under: Comedy,Movies
Writer: Kristofor Brown, Seth Rogen, John Hughes
Director: Steven Brill
Cast: Owen Wilson, Troy Gentile, Nate Hartley, David Dorfman, Alex Frost, Josh Peck, Leslie Mann
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date:July 1, 2008
I love comedies. Next to crime dramas and very strange titles that the people at Literary Illusions try to convince me to review, comedies are my thing. I enjoy the psycho rednecks like Jeff Foxworthy and LtCG (Larry the Cable Guy), but I tend to be versatile and open minded where comedy is concerned.
I also enjoy Eddie Murphy (his 80s stuff in particular), Martin Lawrence (though not in College Road Trip) and many other funny guys. Owen Wilson tends to be pretty good. I have missed a couple of his comedies that double as chick flicks, but Drillbit Taylor looked pretty safe, so I decided to pick up the review duties on this one.
Back in the day, one of my favorite comedy writers was John Hughes. The king of high school, teenage angst popped off numerous classics back in the 80s. When I think of all of the really big teen 80s movies, it seems his name is always attached. Favorites include The Breakfast Club (I was so Bender with a pot belly in high school…or maybe that’s now?!), Pretty in Pink, and Weird Science. Of course, Bueller is a definite classic as are so many other Hughes films. So, when I found out that Hughes had come up with the idea for Drillbit I couldn’t wait to see it.
Release Information:
Hughes was not actually given a writing credit on the film to my knowledge. I am not even sure how much he had to do with the project in terms of writing and decision making. This is where Drillbit differs from his teenage 80s classics where Hughes was heavily involved. Still, if you look close enough you can see the Hughes mark that is so obvious in his films.
This one is going to fall somewhere in between the great and the embarrassing in Hughes’ resume. It’s certainly no Breakfast Club, but its way better than say, Baby’s Day Out. Drillbit Taylor was released onto DVD on July 1, 2008. If you are interested in purchasing the film you have a number of options. You can pick this up at most movie retailers, including Amazon, where three options for this title are available. You can pick up either the Unrated Survival Edition, which is being reviewed here, or the Standard edition for $19.99. You can also pick up the Blu-Ray, which Shayne reviewed for $27.95.
The Drillbit Taylor (Unrated Extended Survival Edition) Plot
Things get rolling with the two biggest losers of middle school, Ryan (Troy Gentile) and Wade (Nate Hartley) talking on the night before the first day of high school. The dreamers have decided that this new start will mean a new life for both of them. Once they hit high school they will suddenly become cool or at least blend in. Unfortunately, what you have is Ryan, a chubby kid who likes rap and renames himself T-Dog to be cool (he also still calls his mom, mommy) and Wade, the skinny, dorky kid who is sympathetic to others that are in the same boat, even if it keeps him from being popular.
The first day of high school doesn’t end up being all that the two boys hoped for when they show up at the bus stop wearing the same Hot Topic, bowling shirt. Later they literally end up wearing the same shirt. As if this wasn’t bad enough, things turn worse when Wade decides to defend the kid getting picked on, drawing attention to himself. This is bad for him and T-Dog, even though it makes them a new BFF for life, in the very dorky and showtune obsessed, Emmit (David Dorfman).
Meanwhile, Terry Filkins (Alex Frost) plays the part of the bully with his best buddy Ronnie (Josh Peck). Filkins is an emancipated minor whose parents live overseas. This is perfect for him because he has no one to answer to at the end of the day. Then again, considering he has the principal wrapped around his little finger he has no one accusing him of anything anyway. While wearing the same shirt and being known as “Siamese Queers” was bad enough, the bullying becomes so bad that Emmitt, T-Dog, and Wade have to do something about it. The do the logical thing when they decide to hire a bodyguard.
That brings us to Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson). Drillbit is definitely an interesting character. You could even say he is a split personality, of sorts. To the boys he is a retired Army black ops specialist that was kicked from the Army because he was essentially, too Army. This was just a nice little story to get a job and whatever else he could get from a couple of immature high school kids. To everyone else, he is a homeless, bum that showers naked on the beach in the morning, and spends the rest of the day begging for handouts on the highway and around town. When not begging, he hangs with his other homeless friends and they talk about what they will do when they move out of California and start new lives.
While Drillbit likes the kids, his best friend Don (Danny McBride) suggests that he milk the boys for all they are worth. In the meantime, the boys look to Drillbit, especially Wade, who has a self-absorbed, adrenaline-junkie step-father who is obsessed with strength, working out and other guy things. His stepfather likes to make fun of Wade because Wade is just not that kind of guy. Drillbit, on the other hand, makes the boys all feel special. He teaches them some lame self-defense techniques and gives them advice that they think will help them, though it usually doesn’t. This leads up to a huge confrontation and all of the insane moments you expect from a crazy comedy about loser teenagers that want to be cool.
Drillbit Taylor is not the most original idea when it comes right down to it, but it has its good moments. The best thing about this movie is the acting. The kids are entertaining and Wilson was made for this role. The writing isn’t that original and if you’ve seen movies like this or anything else by Rogen, you’ve heard many of these jokes before. It’s almost like he felt the need to take a nap so he just threw some of his old jokes in here to get the movie done real quick. If the creators would have picked less competent actors this movie would have had some serious trouble. Then again, you could say that these pretty funny actors got stuck with a mediocre script. Any way you slice it, thanks to them this movie turns out being better than you would expect it to be.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
The video for Drillbit Taylor is presented with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 in anamorphic widescreen. The colors offer a nice look to them and the blend and sharpness are spot on. If there were problems here it would take better eyesight than mine to catch them. It looked amazing and I had no complaints. Actually, it’d be nice to see that all movies came out with a transfer like this one.
The audio was fairly decent, too. Offering Dolby Digital 5.1 in English, Spanish, and French things sound pretty good. There were no sound issues. This wasn’t an action movie so it was relatively low when it came to sound effects, but the audio sounded just right throughout the entire thing. In a movie like this there is no reason why the audio shouldn’t be spot on. In addition to the audio tracks, Drillbit Taylor offers subtitles in English, French, and Spanish, as well.
Visual:
Audio:
Bonus Features:
If you like bonus features you’ll be happier than a pig in mud when it comes to this set. Things start off with your basic previews. Some of the trailers you will see include those for Spiderwick Chronicles, Star Trek, and Iron Man. Next up is the audio commentary for the film. The commentary includes the director, Steven Brill, one of the writers, Kristofer Brown, and three of the actors, Gentile, Hartley, and Dorfman. The commentary isn’t bad. There are some awkward moments, but nothing that ruins this commentary.
There are close to 20 minutes worth of deleted scenes. These scenes show little extras that were mainly cut for time or because the scenes just became unnecessary. The scenes had their funny moments but for the most part it was obvious why they were excluded. Also included is a line of alternative takes and a gag reel, for comic value. Some of this material is amusing, but after a minute or two it starts getting old.
Finally, the featurettes round out the bonus features. Included in this area are “The Writers Get a Chance to Talk”, “Rap Off”, “Sprinkler Day”, “Bully”, “Directing Kids”, and “The Real Don: Danny McBride”. Of these, my favorites were probably, “Bully”, “Sprinkler Day”, and “Rap Off”. The Writers featurette was just about the writers collaborating, which wasn’t all that interesting. The same could be said for directing kids, where Brill seemed more awkward while trying to be funny and entertaining. It just goes to show that some people are better off behind the camera.
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
Drillbit Taylor makes a great cable movie. It’s one of those movies that when on television you won’t turn it off. Then again, if you’re watching it on cable that probably means that you didn’t rush right out and buy it. Some people will love and worship this movie. Others won’t want to bother with this type of comedy. If you can’t catch it on cable I recommend renting it first to make sure this movie is for you.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Movie, DVD Review, Drillbit Taylor, Owen Wilson, Troy Gentile, Nate Hartley, David Dorfman, Alex Frost, Josh Peck, Leslie Mann, Comedy, Homeless, Showering on the Beach Naked
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Written by Chuck - Visit Website
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I am a Southerner, proud and true. At 37 years old, I've learned enough of life's lessons to know that nothing is as it seems in the beginning. I live in South Carolina with my dog, Big Blue and my son, Hunter. I enjoy watching NASCAR, writing short stories, riding on my ATV, and a drinking a cold beer with friends in front of the television.
