The Change-up
This movie was first brought to my attention as a commercial of an upcoming move. Now, I know this movie has been out for a little bit of time, but it still grabs my attention purely from its main two actors Ryan Renolds and Jason Bateman. Even with these two famous actors starring in this film it was not as publicized as most movies are. I feel that this movie being downplayed is part of what makes it so great. In fact, many of my favorite films were not covered widely in the media and that is what I find so great about them. Almost like finding an unbroken sea shell on the beach, not many of them out there...yet you, yourself, have found one. Always keep an open mind and watch for those rare films. You never know you may find your sea shell.
Trailer:
The Change-Up was filmed in 2o11 by director David Dubkin. This comedy stares two men Dave Lockwood (Jason Bateman) and Mitch Planko (Ryan Reynolds) who are close friends, though they lead two completely different lives. While hanging out one evening they both opened up to each other and decided they wanted one anothers jobs. While Dave is a wealthy respectable worker with a beautiful wife and three young kids, and Mitch is a free bird rising actor who has plenty of sexual encounters with random women...both are seemingly unhappy. One evening Mitch and Dave get drunk and decide to urinate into a fountain, not knowing that that fountain would change their lives forever!
The next morning Dave and Mitch wake up to find that they have switched lives. Once they relize what has happened the two men rush back to the fountain, where they had made the wish the night before, only to see the fountain has been removed and relocated. As an effort to save Daves marriage and attempt to make partner at his law firm and to ensure that Mitch gets his big moment on screen in his lightporno movie industry, the two men decide to act as one another until they can figure out how to get back into their own bodies. As the movie plays on the two men get more comfortable in their newly found lives and start to question whether or not they want to go back to their old lives. Do they ever go back?
Stereotypes:
Oh lanta! There are tons and tons of stereotpyes in this movie! Not only for women, but for men as well. It shows a married man being tied down, having no sex life, working none stop, just going through the day to day motions. Then it turns to the single bachelor life, different woman everynight, not responsibilities, no cares, and gets to sleep in all day long. The women in this movie are not really the main point, but some are shown as weak house wives, and others are shown as strong independant hard workers. Though there are the occasional slutty pregnant girls.. The stereotpes in this movie are all over the board out of wack.
Background Information:
Directed by: David Dobkin
Music By: John Debney
Starring: Ryan Rendolds ( Green Lantern, The Proposal, and X-men Origin)
Jason Bateman ( Arrested Development, Identity Thief, and The Switch)
Olivia Wilde ( House, Tron: Legacy, and Cowboys and Aliens)
Leslie Mann ( George of The Jungle, This is 40, and Knocked Up)
Mircea Monroe ( Magic Mike, Into The Blue 2: The Reef, and Episodes)
Alan Arkin ( Argo, stand Up Guys, and Little Miss Sunshine)
Gregory Itzin ( The Mentalist, Covert Affairs, and Law Abiding Citizen)
TJ Hassan ( My Future Boyfriend, and Who Do You Love?)
Similarities/ Strengths and weaknesses:
In my opinion this movie had a lot other aspects than just comedy. The director did a nice job of tying in family values and self revelation. There was not an overkill of emotions like I tend to see in many other comedies. Though there were few moments of actual laughter, I did still enjoy this movie. Also in many comedies I do find that sex and or bodily fluids are a common theme, which you will find plenty of both in this film. Even though this movie had many common themes as other comedies, I found that as the plot thickened and the family and self revelation came into fall, the director still found ways to keep the film light hearted and funny. This, in my opinion, is what sets this film apart from every other comedy.
If you have children under the ages of 15, I would recommend that you not watch this film. This is more of an adult movie night, not a family movie night kind of film. There are a lot of offensive language and sexual behavior, nudity..etc.
Targeted Audiences:
This is definitely a movie for older viewers only. 18+ older audiences is what I would advise. There is a lot of nudity, and profanity. This could be considered a date night movie for mature audiences only, once again. Just make sure your date is okay with this kind of comedy.
Critics:
Critics give The Change-up a mediocre review, saying that this film does not match up to the comedy of majorly produced films.
Public viewers say that they are pleasantly surprised with this film, and give it raving reviews.
I give this movie a great review, definitely something that I would watch again, though probably not something I will think about off of the top of my head next time movie night comes along.
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