Written by James M. Tate / 12/24/2011 / No comments / comedy , jason bateman , olivia wilde , ryan reynolds , tens
THE CHANGE-UP
title: THE CHANGE-UP
year: 2011
cast: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde
rating: **
The FREAKY FRIDAY template is used in the raunchy comedy genre: involving a mild-mannered suburban father/workaholic lawyer Jason Bateman changing bodies with his womanizing actor best friend Ryan Reynolds. We don’t get to know each character’s contrary lifestyles, or personalities therein, to merit a significant change when it occurs (they both drunkenly pee in a fountain at the same time), which is important since the entire plot resides on how each guy reacts to living a different lifestyle. The jokes try too hard to push the how-far-can-we-go envelope, making each moment involving their uncomfortable circumstances – Bateman’s hunted by his sexy secretary while Reynolds changes diapers and lands deals in the office – seem secondary to the dialog's shock value. But while Jason Bateman never enjoys his “vacation” taking on the single man’s life he so whined about during the first ten minutes, Reynolds, after a while, does seem genuinely contented with his neglected wife. It’s when they switch back to normal, and the envelope is sealed, we realize the movie wasn’t completely pointless… these poor fellas went through hell and back, after all... but is it worth sitting through all over again?
year: 2011
cast: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde
rating: **
The FREAKY FRIDAY template is used in the raunchy comedy genre: involving a mild-mannered suburban father/workaholic lawyer Jason Bateman changing bodies with his womanizing actor best friend Ryan Reynolds. We don’t get to know each character’s contrary lifestyles, or personalities therein, to merit a significant change when it occurs (they both drunkenly pee in a fountain at the same time), which is important since the entire plot resides on how each guy reacts to living a different lifestyle. The jokes try too hard to push the how-far-can-we-go envelope, making each moment involving their uncomfortable circumstances – Bateman’s hunted by his sexy secretary while Reynolds changes diapers and lands deals in the office – seem secondary to the dialog's shock value. But while Jason Bateman never enjoys his “vacation” taking on the single man’s life he so whined about during the first ten minutes, Reynolds, after a while, does seem genuinely contented with his neglected wife. It’s when they switch back to normal, and the envelope is sealed, we realize the movie wasn’t completely pointless… these poor fellas went through hell and back, after all... but is it worth sitting through all over again?
Labels:
comedy,
jason bateman,
olivia wilde,
ryan reynolds,
tens
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
All Time Popular
-
Robyn Hilton enters into an eclectic exploitation comedy career in Wonder Women circa 1973 As mentioned a few posts ago, ROBYN HILTON, b...
-
year: 1978 cast: Allen Garfield, Leif Garrett, Kathleen Lloyd, Tony Alva, Pam Kenneally rating: ***1/2 Although promoted as a Leif Garr...
-
Kari Michaelsen in Saturday the 14th year: 1982 In LOVE AT FIRST BITE, a popular comedy that took the vampire genre by satire, Richard ...
-
Mary-Louise Weller in NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE ANIMAL HOUSE, directed by John Landis and produced by Ivan Reitman, stars John Be...
-
Robyn Hilton on STARSKY AND HUTCH Model/Actress ROBYN HILTON played Mel Brook's secretary in BLAZING SADDLES and turns up in an epis...
-
Cornelia Sharpe in BUSTING Year: 1974 Rating: **** Starring Elliott Gould and Robert Blake as determined vice cops BUSTING hookers, makin...
-
Kerri Green and John Candy in SUMMER RENTAL Year: 1985 John Candy, in his first leading role, plays a burnt-out air traffic controller ...
-
WILLIAM SMITH AS FALCONETTI ON RICH MAN POOR MAN The baddest of all TV bad guys… Matt Dillon’s character in BEAUTIFUL GIRLS calls Antho...
-
Robyn Hilton in Video Vixens the same year as Blazing Saddles: 1974 The Anthology of Comedic Parodies, already done in several Woody All...
-
Susan Dey in Skyjacked YEAR: 1972 Some of the best elements of hijacking, plane crashing, ship sinking, building burning or any other di...
Featured Post
CHARLES BRONSON & ROBERT DUVALL BAND APART FOR 'BREAKOUT'
Charles Bronson in BREAKOUT Year: 1975 Rates: ***1/2 The violent prologue of the 1975 Tom Gries jailbreak flick is so Sam Peckinpah you cou...

No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.