Drillbit Taylor
Metascore
41 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 31 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 31
  3. Negative: 7 out of 31
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  1. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    75
    Even if this movie doesn't quite hit the highs of its predecessor, it's nice to know that there are still filmmakers ready to respect the eternal struggles of freaks and geeks.
  2. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    63
    There are winning scenes between Wilson and the three teens as they train in various martial arts (like Mexican Judo - "as in Ju-don't know who you're messing with!") and get tips from clips of "Fight Club" and "The Untouchables."
  3. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Ryan Stewart
    63
    Presents nothing blindingly new for fans of Apatow- or Sandler-style humor and when watching it, one can hear the faint rustling of old scripts being yanked from drawers for a timely cash-in, but with his high-school memories now hopefully exhausted, maybe Rogen has a good college yarn to spin.
  4. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    58
    This latest whiffle ball from Team Apatow is a mildly amusing comedy.
  5. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    50
    A relatively lame exercise that never achieves comic traction.
  6. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    50
    "Superbad” got a deserved R rating for its unmitigated and gleeful raunch. Drillbit Taylor is cleaner in mouth but far uglier in spirit. Wilson and Mann do what they can to tone it up, but their scenes belong to a different film, and a fresher one.
  7. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Rene Rodriguez
    50
    The film emits a subtle yet distinct John Hughes vibe.
  8. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    50
    The last time I saw this much talent in a losing cause was Super Bowl XLII. Trying to mix farce with heart, Drillbit Taylor is instead as soulful as Kenny G and as wacky as public television.
  9. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    50
    A disappointing hodgepodge of rehashed clichés.
  10. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    50
    As clunky and humorless as its title.
  11. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    50
    The "Apatow formula" is pretty simple: raunchy comedy, likeable characters, and a dash of sweetness (but nothing too sweet). Drillbit Taylor fulfills the third characteristic but falls short in the other two.
  12. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Jason Anderson
    50
    Drillbit Taylor brings Seth Rogen's hot streak to a sudden halt.
  13. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: M. E. Russell
    50
    Do yourself a favor. Rent "My Bodyguard" instead.
  14. Dallas Observer
    Reviewed by: Luke Y. Thompson
    50
    Rare is the star vehicle that is as poorly matched to its star as Drillbit Taylor, which casts Owen Wilson as a homeless Army deserter and con man, able to fool people into believing he's both a substitute teacher and a master of hand-to-hand combat.
  15. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Crust
    50
    Wilson is as sincere as ever at being insincere, though the sweet minor notes of his trademark melancholia seem here to be in search of a more boisterous presence -- say a Vince Vaughn -- to riff with.
  16. Time
    Reviewed by: Richard Schickel
    50
    Better luck next time, Owen.
  17. Variety
    Reviewed by: Todd McCarthy
    50
    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.
  18. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    50
    Owen Wilson phones it in with Drillbit Taylor, a by-the-numbers teen comedy.
  19. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Keith Phipps
    50
    Wilson's funny. Mann's funny. But paired together here, nothing works.
  20. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Travis Nichols
    42
    This thing is a mess.
  21. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Chris Kaltenbach
    42
    If only it had some funny lines, a focused plot and an idea that stretched beyond the initial setup.
  22. Empire
    Reviewed by: Helen O'Hara
    40
    It just scrapes two stars on the strength of Wilson’s best efforts. But for God’s sake, someone give this man a sparring partner.
  23. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not credited)
    40
    So ploddingly directed (by Steven Brill) and lazily written that it adds up to little more than a diffuse collection of second-hand gags and jokes, few of them funny.
  24. Slate
    Reviewed by: Dana Stevens
    40
    Drillbit Taylor is slackly paced and rife with questionable logic.
  25. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    38
    Drillbit Taylor sounds like a rediscovered blaxploitation movie or a name near the top of the NFL draft.
  26. Charlotte Observer
    Reviewed by: Lawrence Toppman
    38
    The script by Kristofor Brown and Seth Rogen and the direction by Steven Brill have a careless, never-gave-a-damn feel that's as insulting to viewers as the film is dull.
  27. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    30
    Much to my dismay this is not an unauthorized sequel to Abel Ferrara's 1979 East Village art-world freakout "Driller Killer." This is instead a dispiritingly mediocre tweener comedy from some very talented people who appear to be experiencing a delayed sophomore slump.
  28. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Stephanie Zacharek
    30
    Owen Wilson doesn't have a single good line in the dismal Drillbit Taylor. So how is it that almost everything he does is funny?
  29. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    25
    Another dreadful, not-funny Owen Wilson movie, in which Wilson is the best thing.
  30. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    25
    A failing-grade comedy about the wishful triumph of high school dorks over high school bullies.
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User Reviews

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User Score
6.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 46 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 24
  3. Negative: 4 out of 24
  1. KathyS.
    10
    That movie is so funny...thats kids show to the people how too much children's feel before and after they first day at high school...bay the way is funny jajajaja.… Full Review »
  2. Compi24
    5
    The film's lead is entertaining and likable, but the film overall seems too artificial to be taken seriously.
  3. cameronmorewood
    6
    If you're like me, diluted Apatow is still better than no Apatow at all.
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