The Change-Up
Movie Review
"The Change-Up"
Review by Eric D. Snider
Grade: B-
Rating: R
Released: Friday, August 5, 2011
Directed by:
Cast:
Hollywood's body-swap comedies have explored the wacky shenanigans involved in having to live someone else's life, but they have largely ignored a major part of it: the sex part. If you're inhabiting someone else's body, even going to the bathroom or taking a shower would be an eye-opening experience, never mind carrying on the sex life of the person whose body you now possess.
Now, at long last, "The Change-Up" gives the body-swap comedy the filthy interpretation it's always deserved. And I do mean filthy. It was directed by David Dobkin, of "Wedding Crashers," and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, of "The Hangover," and it seems bent on out-dirtying both of those movies. Being genuinely funny is a secondary concern, though it accomplishes that, too, here and there.
"The Change-Up" stars the immensely likable Jason Bateman as straitlaced family man Dave, and the immensely likable Ryan Reynolds as weed-smoking womanizer Mitch. Dave is a lawyer bucking for a promotion; Mitch is an unemployed actor. Dave has a wife, Jamie (Leslie Mann), and three little kids; Mitch has no obligations of any kind. ("The adults are about to fire up a workday," Dave says disapprovingly when an already-stoned Mitch calls him one morning at 9.)
They wake up one morning to find they have switched bodies. Never mind how; it doesn't matter. Mitch-as-Dave has to go to an important business meeting and not screw up the Big Account, while Dave-as-Mitch has to be an actor in a shady low-budget film shoot. Mitch-as-Dave also has to deal with Dave's children and sleep with Dave's smokin' hot wife, while Dave-as-Mitch must contend with Mitch's odd roster of girlfriends.
Bateman and Reynolds do an impressive job of establishing their opposite characters in the film's opening scenes, and then do an even better job of impersonating one another's mannerisms and delivery after they're switched. There is glee in both actors' performances, but especially in Bateman's, as he gets to cut loose when inhabited by the reckless spirit of Mitch.
Unfortunately, the movie doesn't trust the actors' facility with comedy and goes overboard to ratchet up the wackiness quotient. When Mitch is in Dave's body and must pretend to be a grown-up and professional lawyer, he instead behaves like a moron, swearing relentlessly in board meetings and pilfering free snacks from the break room. This is all wrong. Mitch surely knows how mature adults act, even if he isn't one himself. He's a slacker, not an idiot. (He's also an actor, yet he makes no effort to play the role of Dave.)
I found myself forgiving a lot of that kind of sloppiness because of my built-in fondness for Bateman and Reynolds. That includes a particularly nasty baby-poop incident -- in the first 10 minutes of the film, no less! -- that probably would have turned me off completely if it were, say, Martin Lawrence and Adam Sandler. The film also benefits from the Leslie Mann effect (see also: "Knocked Up"), wherein the tartly funny actress fills her beleaguered housewife character with honesty and emotion, in spite of the nonsense that surrounds her.
The perverse humor and outrageous scenarios made me laugh often enough to recommend the movie, but I'm disappointed that it didn't explore the potential in an R-rated body-swap comedy more carefully. Much of what happens here is just leftover "let's see how raunchy we can be" material from the filmmakers' other movies. But Reynolds and Bateman give such gonzo, fully-committed performances that it's hard not to find mirth in their characters' dumb exploits.
Grade: B-
Rated R, pervasive harsh profanity and vulgarity, a lot of nudity and strong sexuality
1 hr., 52 min.
Copyright © Eric D. Snider.
This work may not be transmitted via the Internet, nor reproduced in any other way, without written consent from Eric D. Snider.
This item has 7 comments
August 8, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Yeah, it's like an unrated version of a pg13 movie rather than an R rated comedy.
Sometimes I wonder if it's because Eric likes certain actors like Bateman and Reynolds that I like them as well. I do agree that they are what makr the movie worth watching.
August 9, 2011 at 12:47 am
This is a disgusting film that may actually have some people gagging like crazy. It barely avoided getting slapped with an NC-17 rating, so it might be a struggle for some to get past all the envelope-pushing. But as gross as it can sometimes get, we were laughing too darn hard at it all to really pay that any mind. Nice Review! Check out mine when you can!
August 9, 2011 at 5:54 pm
I haven't seen it yet but glad it's better than expected. I was hoping for a classic Snider Pitch Meeting though. I guess it's not happening so I can't resist.
David Dobkin: I have a movie that will blow your mind. I just spoke to Jon Lucas and Scott Moore and they have the perfect blockbuster script. It's called The Change-Up. Jason Bateman changes bodies with Ryan Reynolds. So the married family guy is now a single ladies man and vice versa.
Executive 1: What an original idea!
Executive 2: I will hide a briefcase with 50 million dollars. If you find it before the cops do, you take the money and go make the movie with it.
Executive 3: That's too risky, just give him the money!
Executive 2: Very true, we can't run the risk of someone else having a similar idea while he's looking for the money.
Executive 1: That would never happen! Just so we can get this going as soon as possible, here's 60 million.
Executive 2: Not 50 million?
Executive 1: I want to make sure the body switch has the best special effects. I want it to be as realistic as possible.
Executive 3: Brilliant!
David Dobkin (thinking to himself): Hmmmmm, an extra 10 million.........a weird statue..........a urination scene in a fountain........and some lightning. I can pocket the remaining 9,999,000 for hookers and cocaine!
David Dobkin (actually talking now): Thank you for the extra money! It will be put to good use.
Executive 3: Wait, I seem to remember a 2010 movie with Jason Bateman called The Switch.
Executive 1: Oh jeepers! I knew this idea was too good to be true. Who does Bateman trade bodies with in that movie?
Executive 2: You're saying this same movie already happened? It probably made a billion dollars. Thanks a lot for getting our hopes up David. Did you know that this movie has been done before?
David Dobkin: Just hold on guys. The Switch has nothing to do with a body switch. Jason Bateman doesn't trade bodies with anyone........and the movie tanked at the box office.
Exectuve 1: Oh wow! That's a relief! Just wait until the people that made that movie see how close they were to box office riches.
Executive 3: Very true! They had Bateman and the perfect title........but just couldn't think of this genius concept.
Executive 2: Their loss is our gain! I can't wait until the sequel.
David Dobkin: Yup- we'll call it the slider........and we'll have Jason Bateman slide right in to Owen Wilson's body. Well, you know what I mean.
August 10, 2011 at 2:19 pm
There has been some anger in the (for lack of a better word) disabled community about the word "Downsy" in this movie. A Facebook friend of mine who has a niece with Downs syndrome posted a link to this blog entry about it.
I haven't seen anything in the mainstream media about it, though, the way there was with Tropic Thunder and "full retard". Is that just because Tropic Thunder was a much bigger, more popular movie?
August 18, 2011 at 2:32 pm
I like Eric's pitch meetings.
April 9, 2012 at 6:02 pm
Since when is Leslie Mann smokin' hot? Puh-lease.
April 14, 2012 at 4:06 am
Leslie Mann is smokin' hot for her age. She's 40 now and there aren't many 40 year olds that compare. Super cute face and amazing body.