It’s been only half a year since the success of the Seth Rogen’s scripted comedy “Superbad” took audiences by a storm of laughter. It was a light-hearted story about two high school buddies putting their relationship to the test before they embark on the college journey.

With similar themes of high school outcasts, Rogen went on to tell the story of two grade school buddies about to embark on the high school world. It’s hardly a change in scenery, but when the story tosses in a low-budget homeless bodyguard for the boys, one wonders if it’s a shot at brilliancy or just a feeble attempt of copycat success.

His name is Drillbit Taylor. The character, played by Owen Wilson, is the epitome of a slacker. Being a homeless man disguised as a bodyguard, Drillbit cons three high school freshmen who feel they need protection from the school’s infamous bullies.

Even as the title character, it’s nearly impossible to garner a reason as to why Drillbit is so important. What the story does with Drillbit is use him as a negative promotion of violence for the high school kids who are presumably the target audience of the film. Being a story about overcoming the pressures and downfalls of high school, Drillbit Taylor does nothing to reconcile its overbearing sense of adolescent violence.

Whatever relationship the filmmakers want you to believe the boys have in the end of the film, it becomes merely bogus among the barrage of repugnant high school behavior. “Superbad” taught friends the meaning of a true friendship no matter what the circumstance. Sadly, “Drillbit Taylor” only teaches us to cowardly abandon friendships and use violence as a means to overcome our fears. Sorry, Seth Rogen, but that’s hardly the proper message to be sending to the youth of our country.

One star out of four