Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Change-Up


The Change-Up - 4 out of 5

Has there been enough of these "body switch" films that it is now it's own genre?

Let's face it, the whole "I want your life and somehow through magic, our personalities have switched and I'm now forced to live your life in your body while you do vice versa with mine" is a very predictable and played out film that jumped the shark the day that no talent coke hound Lohan starred in one.  So, can a more adult oriented version of this story make a difference?  Surprisingly, yes.

Okay, that dude's face on the right is freaking me out.

Oh no!  It's the evil president from 24.
I won't bore you with the story to The Change-Up because if you've seen one of the other dozen of films that has this story, you know exactly what's going to happen.  The grass is greener turns out to be not true and our characters learn what it is like to walk a mile in the other's shoes.  That part of the film is your cookie-cutter, generic brand story but the jokes and the performances from the leads is what drives this film.

Right off the bat, the movie opens with a joke that involves poop entering a man's mouth and I felt like the film was going to go that particular potty humor route--that is until the film gets kicking and it starts on a swear-driven, sex obsessed, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot route that occasionally offers up some pee-pee and poo-poo humor.  But the true magic to the humor of this one goes to Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds.

This is exactly how I plan on parenting.  Roaring at them like a crazy man.
Without these two at the front of this familiar venture, this would be a boring journey that would make me wonder what's the next classic film Hollywood is willing to put in the grinder and rape as it remakes it.  However, Bateman and Reynolds' chemistry, performances and ability to capture the other actor when the bodies undergo the switch makes for a really entertaining film--poop humor and all.

Hmm, I see that nervous smile all the time when I flirt with women and they don't have a convenient means of escape.
Despite the familiar story, there was one thing that really bothered me about the film:  the nudity.  In an adult comedy like this, I expect there to be some skin but the nudity in this film surprised and even shocked me.  No, you don't see a full-on erection plastered across the screen.  Instead, the film gives generated boobies.  That's right, you heard me.  Computer generated boobs.  And let me say this...they do NOT look real and they are NOT fantastic.  They're actually distracting, very obvious and kinda frightening.  Seeing these phony ta-ta's made me wonder if the only nudity they could get from their actresses involved either body doubles or the use of an Apple computer, then what is the point of having the nudity?  Don't take me for a horn dog but if you can't get your actors to lose the clothes for their roles, don't waste the money on hiring ILM to make some pixelated tits--use that money for more jokes.

Seriously, CGI boobs frighten me.

Even though the CGI boobs have now given me nightmares and made me afraid of naked women, The Change-Up is a damn good comedy despite the over-done story that was beating a dead horse when the phrase "beating a dead horse" started to beat a dead horse.  With the witty charm of Jason Bateman and the witty sarcasm of Ryan Reynolds (along with their ability to amazingly switch and imitate the other) really makes the film something to give a shot to.


  1. Hey! I'm that dude on the right!! sorry to be freaking you out - but glad you noticed me! Enjoyed your review - all the best, Paul Barlow

  2. I hope you took no offense for the joke. The way the pic froze your face was just perfect as it is the second before your character went nuts over the sale. Also I'm glad you enjoyed my review.

