Posted: 03/29/08by Katie Morris
Owen Wilson is usually a sure thing. The previews for this film were funny, like Superbad: The Early Years. Unfortunately, the fact remains that this movie is not funny. Steven Brill's Drillbit Taylor features the same three basic characters from Superbad—the tall, skinny guy, the little guy, and the short, mouthy, and, shall we say, fleshy guy, all of whom would want to be popular as they enter their freshman year of high school. Instead they incite the wrath of the
school bully. Perhaps in a bid to rekindle the glory years of 1980s teen movies, the bully is an intense, young John Cusack look-alike. The geeks bring in a bodyguard to avoid being pummeled. From here, you've seen what happens in the previews.
The problem is, since we've seen it in the previews, why can't the film get down to it sooner? At least a half hour goes by before the freshmen meet Owen Wilson, and another long stretch of time later, he finally penetrates the school. The young characters discuss being awkward, but never seem very nervous. Throw in some parents who just don't understand, and it's a plot we've seen a hundred times before. So, twenty years after the teen movie's heyday, we've got a rerun featuring Owen Wilson. He does get some laugh out loud scenes, but overall, the pacing of the film doesn't do justice to his offbeat comedy.
Everything you need to see about this movie is in the preview. Any Owen Wilson fan can wait until it pops from your "Saved DVDs" section into your Netflix queue. Wait it out, because it's not worth rushing to see.
Katie Morris is a writer and film critic living in Chicago.
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