Of course body-switching comedies are incredibly overdone. We receive one nearly every year, but they keep on coming. The Change-Up is an R-rated version having a slacker switching place with his family man best friend. Ryan Reynolds plays the out of work actor whose biggest concern is which of his lady friends he should call each night. His friend, played by Jason Bateman, is a lawyer and family man tired of the daily grind. So what is the script’s new fresh way to get them to switch places? Pee in a fountain. Well, the scene itself proves to be funny, but it just isn’t clever enough to base the movie around.
Landing two in demand actors like Reynolds and Bateman is an accomplishment in itself for the film, but it’s hard to tell if they ever fit in their roles. Reynolds has spent the better part of this decade establishing himself as a likeable leading actor, so it takes a few minutes getting used to him as the womanizing jerk. Bateman plays the every man a lot, but in the beginning of the film it seems forced. This is of course until the two switch places and the viewer doesn’t know what to think. Both are veterans with simple comedies like The Change-Up, so a lot should be expected of them. At best their performances can only be described as adequate.
An R rating usually allows for over the top antics that provide the biggest laughs. Not so much here. The restriction gives way to topless women and forced swearing. The PG-13 moments are smarter and bring about more laughs. There are some nice moments during the predictable ending in which each realizes how nice their life was, but since the audience can see it coming from a mile away, it doesn’t have as big an impact as it should. With two lesser actors The Change-Up would have absolutely crumbled. (6.8 out of 10)
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