Are audiences going to be interested enough this weekend to venture out and see the film that may have somewhat inspired Owen Wilson’s recent bout with depression? Maybe but the film also has something else going for it. It was produced by Judd Apatow and co-written by Seth Rogen, two names which cause fanboy glee and excitement every time they are mentioned. But that corralling of emotion isn’t without merit. They have created some of the best comedies of recent years (The 40 Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up). So how bad could a film involving these fine talents and John Hughes?

“Wait a second dude, are you talking about the John Hughes?”

That’s right - everyone’s favorite 80s teen comedy filmmaker has risen from the grave of obscurity and lent his hand to Drillbit Taylor (only receiving a co-story credit under his infamous pseudonym Edmond Dantes). Will this make up for the Home Alone or Beethoven (he started that one too) franchises? Absolutely not.

Ryan (Troy Gentile) and Wade (Nate Hartley) are a couple of high school noobs getting pwned by a vicious bully and his sidekick. This kid attacks them everywhere, including the bathroom while they are urinating. He has not a care in the world, as you soon learn he is of the parent-less kind. They live in Japan or something for some reason.

The two boys are quickly joined by another victim, Emmit (David Dorfman - that creepy kid from The Ring series), and decide to try and hire a bodyguard for themselves. Luckily for them, a homeless gent named Drillbit (Wilson) found the ad on the internet and decides to come to their rescue. He needs the money desperately, so he can go to Canada but also, he comes up with a plan to milk these kids for everything they have.

And so begins the mediocrity. Drillbit Taylor takes direction from Steven Brill, the master of uninspired comedy, who has demonstrated a tremendous lack of skill with such comedy gems like Little Nicky (2000) and Without a Paddle (2004). The storyline of this movie is one that was tackled to death in the 80s but each of those efforts were infinitely superior. The Karate Kid deals with most of these themes (the kid being picked on learning to fight back) on a much grander scale.

Even more so, the film feels more like a remake of My Bodyguard (Tony Bill, 1980), than anything else. The credits on IMDB claim otherwise though. This 1980 Matt Dillon classic gets no love here, aside from a cameo by Adam Baldwin (who played the character hired to protect a group of kids from a bully in that film) but it’s so forgettable, I can’t even recall it.

Could this film be the beginning of the inevitable fall for Team Apatow? Probably not. This film just feels like no one cared about making it. Even the kids’ performance lacks any kind of excitement, as if they know they are in a bad comedy too. It’s a humorless PG-13 comedy aimed at middle school kids/some high school kids. Anyone else should stay at home and watch Over the Edge instead.