Plot: Three high school freshmen are repeatedly harassed by two cruel bullies. The boys hire a bodyguard named Drillbit Taylor to protect them from the bullies. Unbeknownst to the boys, Drillbit is a homeless man, who has lied about his credentials.
I like the premise. It had potential. Unfortunately, this comedy only had a few good laughs. Unfunny dialogue and unfunny situations. Like Superbad, this movie was co-written by Seth Rogen. Unlike Superbad, this script was boring, full of holes, and not very funny.
Examples of plot holes: Neither the principal nor the parents take the kids seriously when they say they're being harassed by bullies. Even after one of the kids gets a black eye, apparently no adults ever notice. The bullies openly attack in crowded areas at school without ever being caught by the faculty. A man posing as a substitute teacher is able to walk into classrooms at random and start teaching without the real teacher ever walking in and saying, "Why the heck are you here?"
Owen Wilson plays Drillbit, and he brings a lot of charm to the character. He provides a few laughs, but his ability is limited by a mostly unfunny script. Actually, this film had some great casting. Leslie Mann is fantastic, and her chemistry with Wilson was so strong that I hope they get another chance to work together on a better film. The perfect actors were also chosen to play Wade's step-dad (a former bully/jock) and brain-dead stepbrothers.
Overall, this movie is not worth renting even if you usually like Seth Rogen or Owen Wilson. I know a couple 12-year-olds who loved this movie, and I do believe other kids of that age would enjoy it. For the rest of us, skip it.
I like the premise. It had potential. Unfortunately, this comedy only had a few good laughs. Unfunny dialogue and unfunny situations. Like Superbad, this movie was co-written by Seth Rogen. Unlike Superbad, this script was boring, full of holes, and not very funny.
Examples of plot holes: Neither the principal nor the parents take the kids seriously when they say they're being harassed by bullies. Even after one of the kids gets a black eye, apparently no adults ever notice. The bullies openly attack in crowded areas at school without ever being caught by the faculty. A man posing as a substitute teacher is able to walk into classrooms at random and start teaching without the real teacher ever walking in and saying, "Why the heck are you here?"
Owen Wilson plays Drillbit, and he brings a lot of charm to the character. He provides a few laughs, but his ability is limited by a mostly unfunny script. Actually, this film had some great casting. Leslie Mann is fantastic, and her chemistry with Wilson was so strong that I hope they get another chance to work together on a better film. The perfect actors were also chosen to play Wade's step-dad (a former bully/jock) and brain-dead stepbrothers.
Overall, this movie is not worth renting even if you usually like Seth Rogen or Owen Wilson. I know a couple 12-year-olds who loved this movie, and I do believe other kids of that age would enjoy it. For the rest of us, skip it.