The Change Up
Review by Sean Lynch
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The Change Up
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When it comes to the body-switch genre, it's safe to say there is
very little territory left to explore. With that in mind, in theory, The Change Up should offer up few surprises and even less originality.
Yet, somehow, it manages to be one of the most entertaining comedies of the year.
The
set up here is simple : Ryan Reynolds plays the sex weary single guy,
Jason Bateman the straight laced family man. After a boys night out
they wish they had each others lives. Hey Presto! The next morning,
wouldn't you know it, they've switched bodies.
Cue hilarity.
While initially hesitant about The Change Up (due
to that niggling voice in my head saying "Geeez, do we really need
another of these?"), by the 30 minutes mark of giggles and good times
it's hard to imagine a world without The Change Up.
Here's
the thing - despite there being more body identical switch films than
you can imagine, can you name one you didn't enjoy? Whether it's Kirk
Cameron and Dudley Moore, Jamie Lee Curtis and some young gal, Rob
Schneider and... whatever he chooses, or even Zac Efron and Chandler
Bing : fish out of water stories are always bound to make you have fun
even if you aren't laughing.
The Change Up also has what most joke-less comedies seem to have these days : charisma. Much like Bateman's other comedy Horrible Bosses, The Change Up succeeds by simply offering up some fun characters audiences are just happy to hang out with for 90 minutes.
The fact there are some naughty words and laughs along the way is just a bonus.
The writers of The Hangover inject just the right about of banter into the mix (which is a hell of a lot more entertaining than The Hangover Part II) while the chemistry between Bateman, Reynolds and the smoking hot Olivia Wilde makes everything work perfectly.
Strangely
this was a flop in the States (yet another to add to the Ryan Reynolds
Box Office graveyard), but don't be fooled by the numbers - this is a
fun night out at the movies.
The grass is always greener on the other side, and body switch movies are always entertaining.
Facts. Of. Life. 4 out
of 5
The Change Up
Australian release: 8th September,
2011
Official
Site: The Change Up
Cast: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds and Olivia Wilde
Director: David Dobkin
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