Sight and Sound, 04/01/2008, p.54, "Wilson's talent for out-of-leftfield adlibs hasn't deserted him..."
Total Film, 05/01/2008, p.48, 3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]here's a great turn from Gentile....The real draw, though, is the ever likeable, ever schmoozy Wilson."
Ryan (Troy Gentile), Wade (Nate Hartley) and Emmit (David Dorfman) attend their first day at high school and they're pumped…until they meet up with Filkins (Alex Frost), a school bully who comes off like a little Hannibal Lecter. Before they become completely engulfed in Filkins' reign of terror, they seek out some protection by placing an ad in Soldier of Fortune magazine. Their best response - and the cheapest - comes from Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson), a down-on-his luck soldier of fortune who lives a homeless - he likes to say "home-free" - existence on the beach. He enrolls them in some physical and mental training.
Source Paramount Home Entertainment
Blu-Ray Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Widescreen
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 TrueHD - English, French, Spanish
Subtitles - English, French, Spanish - Optional
Additonal Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1.Steven Brill 2.Kristofor Brown 3.Troy Gentile 4.Nate Hartley 5.David Dorfman 6.Kristofor Brown 7. Seth Rogen
Deleted Scenes - (19)
Featurettes - 1. LINE-O-RAMA
2. PANHANDLE (3:05)
3. KIDS ON THE LOOSE
4. DIRECTING KIDS
5. SUPER BILLY
6. BULLY
7. BODYGUARD
8. TRADING PUNCHES
9. RAP OFF
10. SPRINKLER DAY
11. FILKINS FIGHT
12. THE LIFE OF DON
13. THE REAL DON: DANNY MCBRIDE
Trailers - (2)
DRILLBIT TAYLOR tells the story of three nerdy adolescents who, on their very first day of high school, find themselves the target of a merciless, near psychotic bully. The friends band together and pool their funds to hire a personal bodyguard, Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson). Taylor, a homeless beach bum and AWOL army soldier, plans to con the kids just long enough to pull together the money needed to amscray off to Canada. A momentary flash of a conscience and a growing crush on a teacher at the boys' high school, however, compels Drillbit to stick around, do the right thing, and ultimately save the day.
The movie is fluff to the extreme, and because it's from the duo of Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow it's easy to long for more. There's a remarkably talented comic cast here, though, that includes, among others, Upright Citizens Brigade veteran Matt Walsh, former Daily Show correspondent Beth Littleford, and indie favorite Frank Whaley. And while it never reaches the near poetic heights of vulgarity to be found in SUPERBAD and KNOCKED UP, one can sense Rogen and Apatow's supreme wit poking around the edges of the film. Where DRILLBIT does succeed, however, is as a fun movie for pre- and early-adolescent boys. KNOCKED UP and 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN deal with some adult subject matter, meaning the plots are driven by issues that 13-year-olds most likely can not relate to, and SUPERBAD is raunchy to the point where parents might not want their kids to see it until they can at least drive. DRILLBIT, on the other hand, strikes a nice middle ground, as it deals with the age-old problem of the high school bully and throws in just enough raunch & roll to keep the sleepover rowdy until dawn.