the-change-up-movie-review

With a premise this blatantly ripped-off from every fifth 80′s flick, it’s nice that someone had the decency to make a movie with some laughs and likable characters. While you can guess every plot point before this thing even starts (guys make wish to switch lives, get wish, screw different lives up, decide to do better, learn about themselves and grow in wacky new situation, aren’t as hip to switch back so quickly once comfy here, bla bleeh blubba blubbidy bluagh), Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds are cast perfectly as their original selves and then pull off their new alter-egos with grace and hilarity.

The posters tell you who begins as who (Bateman’s the family man, Reynolds the ladies’ man) and it makes perfect sense. We’re used to Jason Bateman as the straight guy (“Arrested Development,” “Horrible Bosses”) and Ryan Reynolds as, well, recycled forms of Van Wilder (apologies to those who felt that he was the ultimate Green Lantern). The nice surprise is that when these two guys take on each other’s life, what could be lamer than hell actually works out due to two actors who show that they can do more than one character. Bateman is the perfect lovable douchebag while Reynolds embodies the nervousness of a repressed guy thrown into a sleazy existence.

As far as the fact that these two peed in a magic fountain to end up here, the fun tone of the flick from the beginning makes it so you’re not rolling your eyes as much as you may in the preview. All is slightly exaggerated juuust enough to let us know this is about escapism, not holding a mirror up to us and making us look deep into our own soul. Bateman’s infant twins, if unattended, bang their heads repeatedly into walls and are experts at knife throwing. Establishing these details is a fine tool used in this case to get the guard down right to where one can allow in moments of emotion without it getting uncomfortable (check any Sandler film made since ’97 for otherwise). Then, the real sucker punch: these little moments are done with a competent script and fine actors, so they’re even genuine. Leslie Mann, as Bateman’s wife, reminds us why she’s good for more than just movies that her husband is making.

Olivia Wilde, while awkward in “Cowboys & Aliens,” couldn’t be better as the bad girl who’s not a stupid whore. Even little Sydney Rouviere, as Bateman’s daughter, brings laughs and emotional weight to the table with her ballerina class drama. And as Reynolds’ dad, Alan Arkin serves up a small but worthy purpose. Dave (Bateman) and Mitch (Reynolds) are old friends who’ve forgotten what they want in life, and they need to get theirs snatched away to remember. Cliche, but not so much when you find yourself happy for Dave when he’s watching a movie and finally laughing out loud. But don’t worry, there are also plenty of bathroom jokes to go with the guys-switching-penises concept too.

When one sees “from the writers of ‘The Hangover” (Jon Lucas, Scott Moore) and sees the overdone concept immediately, it’s not completely criminal to assume “The Change-Up” may be the first cookie-cutter film that somehow evades consistency, but it turns out that it’s a cookie cutter film that was worth making and is now worth seeing. New life breathed into an old formula isn’t a terrible thing. Oscar-bait? Nnnnno. A fun time if you’re not looking for any reason to hate it? Yes.

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