So well-hewed is Owen Wilson's cool dude/jerk persona (Wedding Crashers, Zoolander, Cars, every Wes Anderson film, et al) that, when it's revealed some time into Drillbit Taylor that he is rorting a bunch of little kids out of their lunch money, it is difficult to raise a hackle. He's Owen Wilson - what did they expect?

Much of the film follows a similar predictable path as the actor (posing as a titular bodyguard for hire, actually a homeless huckster) slips expertly into character, being kind of mean, but then finding some measure of redemption through his friendship with a trio of 14-year-olds (the superb Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile and David Dortman) and the love of a good woman (Leslie Mann).

That's not to say that the film doesn't have merit - or even that Wilson isn't good; indeed, this may be his most memorable performance since Bottle Rocket - but that Drillbit Taylor fails to measure up to previous Seth Rogan writing forays (Superbad, Undeclared) or Judd Apatow producing gigs (Walk Hard, Anchorman). Still, its characteristic warmth marks the film as another from those winning stables, and further establishes Wilson as a comedy actor of rare charm and presence. Better, this is by far the finest work produced by director Steve Brill (Little Nicky, Mr. Deeds, Withouta Paddle), who handles the rather sensitive issues of bullying and juvenile violence by pushing everything to a corporal extreme with very funny, but also very sincere, results.

Alex Frost (Elephant) is excellent as smart, scary and sadistic uber bully Filkins, and various actors playing teachers, parents, bums and bodyguards bring an adult sensibility that ties the teenagers more firmly than expected to the real world.