Drillbit Taylor

"You get what you pay for," promised the original ads for this comedy. It probably wasn't meant to refer to the film itself, a budget-minded production from the Judd Apatow comedy assembly line, but it makes for an appropriate thumbnail review. Owen Wilson is the title character, a self-proclaimed Army special forces veteran (he's actually a deserter) hired by a trio of high school freshmen (Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile and David Dorfman) as a low-rent bodyguard. His job is to protect them from a borderline sociopathic bully (Alex Frost) and his partner in torment (Josh Peck). Then, after fleecing the hapless nerds for all he can, he inevitably rises to his responsibility, posing as a substitute teacher to watch over his charges. "A junior-league 'Superbad' with an aftertaste of 'The Pacifier,' 'Drillbit Taylor' is a just passable pubescent comedy with a modest laugh count by Apatow factory standards," writes Variety critic Todd McCarthy. Wilson largely carries this lazy high school comedy with his laid-back intensity and amiable show of confidence, and Leslie Mann holds her own just fine in her brief scenes with Wilson. Danny McBride co-stars as a fellow panhandler who tries to muscle in on Drillbit's scam.

The film is available in both the original PG-13 theatrical cut and an "Extended Survival Edition" that runs seven minutes longer. Both feature equally meandering, laid-back commentary by director Steven Brill, co-writer Kristofor Brown and the three young stars, who each wander in to briefly discuss their characters and their scenes; a 12-minute, audio-only phone conversation between Brown and co-writer Seth Rogen (illustrated with production stills), which is both livelier and funnier; the usual deleted and extended scenes; a "Line-o-Rama" montage of alternate improvised lines; and a gag reel. The "Extended Survival Edition" also includes a handful of bite-sized featurettes that are less documentaries than distractions -- entertaining enough snapshots of fun on the set without much insight.