Rating: 5 / 10

Starring

Owen Wilson, Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile, David Dorfman

Plot

Three high school freshmen (Harley, Gentile, Dorfman) who are always picked on by bullies hire a homeless man named Drillbit Taylor (Wilson) to be their bodyguard.

The Good:

In “Drillbit Taylor,” Owen Wilson plays another man-child. This time, it is one who was discharged from the army for “unauthorized heroism,” eats food out of a dumpster and poses as a bodyguard and substitute teacher. Imagine the pitch for a movie like this.

However, even though Wilson’s name is in bright lights, the film is able to succeed thanks to the three “nerds” who need hire Drillbit Taylor.

The three boys are clichés found in every high school movie, yet somehow they add a fresh approach. There’s the skinny kid who has an overly competitive father, the fat kid who likes rap and the sensitive kid who wears a T-shirt from the musical “Rent.”

It gets to the point that when their vindication finally comes, you might be cheering in your seat. The trio of gifted child actors steal the movie from Wilson and the seemingly endless amount of comedian cameos.

The Bad

“Drillbit Taylor” was better when it was called “My Bodyguard.” That 1980 film essentially contains the same concept as its technologically advanced predecessor, and manages to be a far better take on the whimsical premise.

With Seth Rogen penning the screenplay and Judd Apatow producing, this movie tries to be a more juvenile oriented and family-friendly version of “Superbad,” but to no avail. The usual risqué humor and raunchy language seem to be artificially toned down just so a PG-13 rating could be achieved.

But that’s not to say the movie isn’t filled with enough bathroom humor to appease the boob-and-fart-joke enthusiast; the film just never takes any gags too far. When the most outrageous scene is a naked Owen Wilson showering on a beach, you know what kind of movie you’re getting yourself into.

Even though the script is filled with 21st century references to iPods, YouTube and text messaging, the film feels slightly out of touch with high school life. Yu-Gi-Oh cards? “8 Mile”-influenced rap battles? Two jokes about 2Pac? The filmmakers need to get in touch with the audience better and realize that their target demographic probably doesn’t know about Brenda and her baby.

The Lowdown

“Drillbit Taylor” straddles the line between a film kids have an excuse to see without their parents and a film parents have an excuse to see with their kids. Its PG-13 rating is warranted, but disguised beneath the humor is a message to promote individualism and the destruction of bullies. In the end, the movie plays like a “Saturday Night Live” skit that’s 90 minutes too long.