The Change Up, 2011

The Change Up, 2011
Director: David Dobkin
Cast: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde


Stage: Home theatre, Friday night.


The Change Up in short: Growing up together, Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) and Dave (Jason Bateman) were inseparable best friends, but as the years have passed they've slowly drifted apart. While Dave is an overworked lawyer, husband and father of three, Mitch has remained a single, quasi-employed man-child who has never met a responsibility he liked. To Mitch, Dave has it all: beautiful wife Jamie (Leslie Mann), kids who adore him and a high-paying job at a prestigious law firm. To Dave, living Mitch's stress-free life without obligation or consequence would be a dream come true. Following a drunken night out together, Mitch and Dave's worlds are turned upside down when they wake up in each other's bodies and proceed to freak out. Despite the freedom from their normal routines and habits, the guys soon discover that each other's lives are nowhere near as rosy as they once seemed. Further complicating matters are Dave's sexy legal associate.

Preps: This is now hot stuff in local theatre. So let's check it up. According to the trailer, it won't be a shocker if I hate it.


Reality: My hunches are sometimes so true. First of all, the topic is insanely abused by many pieces, seen so far.
Secondly, most of those pieces exceeded this one. This is a bad example of a remake of a lot of remakes.
Hm.. two people, desperately wanting to get out of their lives, wanting everything to change and then after one week realize that life is precious? Ok, I see the value in this, however the delivery is horrible. You need to piss in the fountain to get laid? Really?
Anyhow, Reynolds and Bateman pair up in Hanson and Gretel, one picking up breadcrumbs from hot women, the other one taking responsibility. OK, lesson learned. Married life means that your woman farts too. Well, goes hand in hand with pre-assumptions and land of milk and chocolate, if you aren't aware of this fact before you marry the girl.
And all of the sudden Reynolds becomes serious and wants a serious relationship. Really? I buy that Bateman as a married guy wants to repeat his vowels, but does a mindset that has various women under his roof almost each night, change after one week? Well, could be, but how long will it last before the predator inside him approaches again?

Bad delivery (director), bad cast. Implying that work isn't everything and that we run around chasing minutes and seconds instead of living the life. Agree, however it's something great thinkers told us hundred years ago. Doesn't mean it doesn't apply to today, however, a chewed-up story with a cheesy ending. A no no.


My personal rate: 1,0 (yuk. another one bites the dust. Do something better with your time!!!)


The Change Up on IMDB