Blu-ray Review: Drillbit Taylor

Part of: The Wild Blu Yonder

Overly long with only a little comedic material to work with, Drillbit Taylor doesn’t have a lot going for it. Owen Wilson gives it his all, but the script and writing simply aren’t there to back it up. This is weak attempt from the usual guaranteed laughs of a Judd Apatow/Seth Rogan comedy.

That’s not to say there are no laughs to be had here. Some of the bullying tactics the threesome of nerdy first-year high schoolers are subjected too are worth some laughs. A rap duel is definitely a laugh-out loud moment as well. Unfortunately, that’s about the only memorable scenes worth picking out.

Most of the attempts are humor are small, and might elicit a chuckle at best. They’re spaced out, leaving this comedy dry. It’s almost a half hour before the real story begins, that of Wilson offering his phony protection services against the bullies. By then, the audience is already grasping for something more than random scenes of kids being picked on.

The finale is also out of place, horrifically violent and completely out of place given the rather tame scenes that come before it. It’s one thing when you’re stuffing kids in lockers, it’s another when you start involving swords, glass, and lamp posts into the melee. The movie’s lighthearted, goofy tone goes completely out of the window before it’s over.

Forgettable and entirely skippable, Drillbit Taylor doesn’t have the needed ingredients. This feels restrained and lacking, and calling it unrated to indicate there’s something raunchier here is ridiculous. This is barely PG-13 with the added content. Pass.

With a hefty bitrate in tow, this Blu-ray makes for an excellent transfer. The bold color palette is easy the highlight, and the rich, bold contrast only helps. There are no imperfections to note. While flesh tones can occasionally waver into orange territory and whites run too hot, the superb detail in ever scene more than makes up for it.

Boasting a TrueHD track, the audio doesn’t have much to offer. Even in crowded scenes or brief bits of action, the front channels are the only ones gaining any work. Even the bass is light when music takes over the audio. Dialogue is clear and distinguishable, even when characters whisper.

Annoying is the only way to describe how Paramount delivers the extras. A commentary is rather dull from director Steven Brill, writers, and the young cast. Writers Get a Chance to Talk is an odd feature that’s a phone call with Seth Rogan laid over some still pics from the set. A four-minute gag reel, 19 very short deleted scenes, and a little over four minutes of improv make up the easy to access special features.

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Article Author: Matt Paprocki

Matt Paprocki is a 12-year movie and game critic. He currently freelances for Blu-ray review site DoBlu.com and video game site MultiPlayerGames.com.

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