Drilling Pursuit

Drilling Pursuit is a 2009 computer-animated action comedy film, produced by Starz Animation. It was directed by Roger Allers from a screenplay by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra and stars Will Smith, Jennifer Aniston, Martin Short, and Sofía Vergara. Set in the 1970s, the film follows lonely farmer Wilson Allenson, who finds the drilling industry popular around the world following Captain Rudy Gordon's successful intervention in drilling. He accidentally drills Laura Quayle's intervention and took her and leads workers in a lengthy pursuit in an attempt to avoid Allenson's evidence.

This film was released in the United States on April 17, 2009, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Plot
Set in the 1970s, Wilson Allenson (Will Smith) is a lonely farmer with the intention of making his own interventions by drilling. He receives a letter from Captain Rudy Gordon (Martin Short) that he is hired to drill his creation in order to make his intervention. Rudy reminds Wilson to drill his own creation for the drilling competition. After practicing making his intervention by drilling, he goes to the drilling intervention competition to get a trophy. When the farmers indicate Wilson drilled a wealthy lady's intervention, he screams and takes a lady with him. Wilson learns that the intervention he drilled was Laura Quayle's (Jennifer Aniston) before fleeing from the farmers and the lady he took was also Laura.

Meanwhile, Madison Wells (Sofía Vergara) leads the farmers to catch Wilson Allenson for the evidence he did in the competition. Wilson and Laura went to town as citizens. Wilson tries to prove himself, but Laura doesn't believe him while working with him.

At the farm, Rudy tells Madison that Wilson and Laura went missing from the competition. She tells him not to worry while she tracks Wilson and Laura. In town, Wilson steals a motorcycle, leading to another situation. Laura tries to convince him to surrender, but Wilson says he has no choice.

Both Wilson and Laura are in the chase again when Madison finds both of them. They both escape from town, but the pursuit continues when Madison still has a tracking system on Wilson. He stops the motorcycle and admits his accident, causing Laura to leave him in their own ways and he surrenders himself.

Laura makes her own intervention again in the second competition of drilling interventions, where she was declared the winner. Rudy reveals that she had to give Wilson a second intervention. However, Madison tells her that she is not allowed to meet Wilson again. She denies the rules of restriction which led Madison to hold her hostage. She plans to escape with Laura as a hostage. Rudy fires Madison and Wilson is released from prison, telling her that she shouldn't get over-the-top. Inspired, Madison lifted the restriction rule and Laura gives Wilson a surprise, which is his newly improved intervention.

Cast

 * Will Smith as Wilson Allenson
 * Jennifer Aniston as Laura Quayle
 * Martin Short as Captain Rudy Gordon
 * Sofía Vergara as Madison Wells

Additional Voices

 * Keith Anthony
 * Jack Blessing
 * Sue Boyajian
 * Ranjani Brow
 * William Calvert
 * Rachel Crane
 * June Christopher
 * David Cowgill
 * Wendy E. Cutler
 * Holly Dorff
 * Moosie Drier
 * Elisa P. Gabrielli
 * Jackie Gonneau
 * Nicholas Guest
 * Bridget Hoffman
 * Wendy Hoffmann
 * Rif Hutton
 * Jonathan Nichols
 * Juan Pacheco
 * Moira S. Quirk
 * Al Rodrigo
 * Shane Sweet
 * Claudette Wells
 * Lynnanne Zager

Production
In March 2005, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer announced it had begun its development on its computer-animated action comedy movie in addition to Upside Mystery. Screenwriters John Requa and Glenn Ficarra have been hired to co-write the screenplay. In March 2006, Roger Allers was hired to direct the action-comedy movie and it was now titled Drilling Pursuit. In October 2006, Will Smith, Jennifer Aniston, Martin Short and Sofía Vergara have joined the voice cast.

Starz Animation, who animated Dusk and Dawn and Upside Mystery, will handle its animation. Danny Elfman was announced to score the film in June 2008.

Release
Drilling Pursuit was released in the United States on April 17, 2009. It was originally scheduled to be released on May 22, 2009, but was pushed back to avoid competition with various family films such as Fox's Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian and Disney-Pixar's Up. The film's teaser trailer was released in June 2008 and was attached into Kung Fu Panda in theaters. The film's official theatrical trailer was released in August 2008 and was attached into Star Wars: The Clone Wars in theaters. The final trailer was released in December 2008 and was attached into The Tale of Despereaux in theaters.

Video game
A video game based on the film was released on April 14, 2009 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS. It was developed by Rebellion Developments and published by Electronic Arts.

Home media
Drilling Pursuit was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 28, 2009, by MGM Home Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 78% based on 163 reviews. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 based on 27 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A-" of an A+ to F scale.

Box office
Drilling Pursuit has grossed $203.2 million in North America and $202.2 million in other territories for its worldwide total of $405.4 million.

In North America, Drilling Pursuit topped the box office with $71.2 million at its opening weekend from 4,002 theaters.