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News / Columns / Critics Consensus
Critics Consensus: Drillbit Taylor Flunks; Guess Shutter's and Meet the Browns' Tomatometer!
Read up on this week's collective critical voice.
by Tim Ryan | March 20, 2008
Discuss Article
This week at the movies, we've got a wacky bodyguard (Drillbit Taylor, starring Owen Wilson and Leslie Mann), a wild family reunion (Meet the Browns, starring Angela Basset and Rick Fox), and paranormal Polaroids (Shutter, starring Joshua Jackson). What do the critics have to say?

Everybody has their off days, even Judd Apatow, whose critical winning streak comes to an end (temporarily, at least) with Drillbit Taylor. This Apatow-produced comedy stars Owen Wilson as the title character, a man who has been hired as a bodyguard for three oft-bullied teens; it turns out Taylor is wilder and crazier than he first appears. Pundits say the problem with Drillbit is that it just isn't very funny: it doesn't build on its premise, and offers mediocre gags, despite some decent performances. At 17 percent on the Tomatometer, Drillbit is a little dull. And it's the worst-reviewed movie Apaptow has ever been involved with. (Apatow discussed his favorite movies with RT; click here to check it out.)


Seth, Evan, and McLovin: the early years.

The other two wide openers this week, Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns and Shutter, were either embargoed or not screened for critics. Meet the Browns is the story of a single mom who goes to the funeral of her father (who she never knew) and finds her extend family is pretty wild. In Shutter, a pair of newlyweds find spectral images in their photos. You know what time it is: guess those Tomatometers! (And check out this week's Total Recall.)


"Wait a minute... what's my girlfriend doing with Elliot Spitzer?"

Also opening this week in limited release:

  • Planet B-Boy, a doc about an international breakdancing competition, is at 89 percent.
  • The Belgian import Irina Palm, starring Marianne Faithfull as a desperate woman who takes a job in a sex club, is at 71 percent.
  • The Hammer, starring Adam Carolla as an over-the-hill pugilist looking to make a comeback, is at 63 percent.
  • Christophe Honore's Love Songs, a musical starring Ludvine Sagnier and Louis Farrel as a couple on the rocks, is at 62 percent.
  • The Grand, an improv comedy set in the world of high-stakes poker starring Woody Harrelson and David Cross, is at 57 percent.
  • Under the Same Moon, starring America Ferrara in the tale of an illegal immigrant and the son she left behind in Mexico, is at 50 percent.
  • Olivier Assayas' Boarding Gate, a thriller starring Asia Argento and Michael Madsen, is at 33 percent (check out our take from Cannes here).


"Hey, settle down. We know you'd win in a game of one-on-one."

Finally, props to dethburger for coming the closest to guessing Doomsday's 34 percent Tomatometer. Just think: if we could eradicate mad cow disease, he could change his name to lfeburger.

Recent Judd Apatow-Produced Movies:
------------------------------------------------
74% -- Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
87% -- Superbad (2007)
90% -- Knocked Up (2007)
64% -- The TV Set (2007)
72% -- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)


Related Items
Movie: Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns
Shutter
Irina Palm
The Hammer
Love Songs
The Grand
Boarding Gate
Under the Same Moon
Bookmark and Share
Comments (1-20 of 35 posts) | Reply
Nick Hershey
Nick Hershey writes:
on Mar 20 2008 05:07 PM

Shutter: 17%

Meet the Browns: 41%


(Reply to this)
knowingtoast85
knowingtoast85 writes:
on Mar 20 2008 05:29 PM

I like how critics are calling this the end of the Apatow machine. Who cares if "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" flops (which it could...I saw an early screening and only it looked like it would eventually be funny after a few edits)?

Just wait for "Pineapple Express." Seriously, the word-of-mouth from P.E. screenings is better than what "Knocked Up" and "Superbad" had combined. Plus, it's just a complete change of pace for Apatow's crew.

Movies that Apatow produces just need a good director to push it over the edge, if you ask me. "Superbad" had Greg Mottola, who directed episodes of "Arrested Development" and "Undeclared." David Gordon Green proved he could make great movies with "George Washington" and "All the Real Girls."

Before "Drillbit," Steven Brill directed "Little Nicky." See what I mean?


(Reply to this)
The Great One
The Great One writes:
on Mar 20 2008 06:08 PM

Shutter 11%

Meet The Browns 46%


(Reply to this)
Bloody Mathias
Bloody Mathias writes:
on Mar 20 2008 06:59 PM

Shutter 20%

Meet the Browns 30%


(Reply to this)
Comment
Comment writes:
on Mar 20 2008 07:05 PM

Shutter 16%

Meet the Browns 33%


(Reply to this)
man in the water
man in the water writes:
on Mar 20 2008 07:13 PM

Shutter: 10%
Meet the Browns: 37%

Too bad about Drillbit. Hopefully Apatow can come back with a later project. I'm hoping Pineapple Express can live up to the hype. Still a fan though, Knocked Up was one of the best comedies ever, and Superbad was good as well, wasn't a fan of Walk Hard though. Still a fan though, I can watch Knocked Up over and over.


(Reply to this)
Coastermonkey61
Coastermonkey61 writes:
on Mar 20 2008 07:25 PM

Shutter 11%
Meet The Browns 27%


(Reply to this)
LimpytheTurtle
LimpytheTurtle writes:
on Mar 20 2008 08:00 PM

Shutter 24%

Meet The Browns 48%


(Reply to this)
SplendidIsolation
SplendidIsolation writes:
on Mar 20 2008 08:27 PM

Shutter-7%

Browns-31%


(Reply to this)
mosesjohn
mosesjohn writes:
on Mar 20 2008 08:43 PM

Wow.......lovely boys and handsome men,love them.The actor is cute. Just saw his photos on a celebrity and millionaire dating site called seekamillionaire.com. Don't know if it is him.

(Reply to this)
ziddyrock
ziddyrock writes:
on Mar 20 2008 09:27 PM

Shutter - 10%
Meet the Browns - 25%


(Reply to this)
a.n.t.
a.n.t. writes:
on Mar 20 2008 09:40 PM

browns: 18%
shutter: 13%


(Reply to this)
duckmanx88
duckmanx88 writes:
on Mar 20 2008 10:33 PM

meet the browns: 39%
shutter: 22%

i know, im optomistic


(Reply to this)
twista763
twista763 writes:
on Mar 20 2008 10:53 PM

Shutter - 19%

Meet The Browns - 42%


(Reply to this)
mizzoucritic
mizzoucritic writes:
on Mar 21 2008 01:22 AM

Shutter: 7%

Meet the Browns: 36%


(Reply to this)
Tyrant
Tyrant writes:
on Mar 21 2008 01:40 AM

Shutter: 30% maybe
Meet the Browns: 41%


(Reply to this)
hatingvindiesel
hatingvindiesel writes:
on Mar 21 2008 05:06 AM

In reply to this comment (#1644348)
Shutter and Meet the Browns both 0%

(Reply to this)
schwal
schwal writes:
on Mar 21 2008 05:24 AM

shutter 14%
browns 42%


(Reply to this)
donwillymo
donwillymo writes:
on Mar 21 2008 05:40 AM

Alright mutha****as its friday and my shift just started lets get ready to post...drillbit 1%, shutter -10%, browns .1% and thats the way the cookie crumbles Fheads

(Reply to this)
aconline
aconline writes:
on Mar 21 2008 07:12 AM

Shutter-who cares?
Browns-38%


(Reply to this)
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