“The Change-Up” is frequently repugnant, occasionally misogynistic, sporadically racist and thoroughly stupid. This is a loathsome movie not because it aims for the lowest form of crass comedy, but because it aims for the lowest form of crass comedy… and misses. Depressingly humorless, the film falls apart at just about the same rapid rate as an Adam Sandler comedy.
“The Change-Up” revisits the drained formula of the Body-Swap movie, where two people of contrasting lives end up within the body of the other, and vice versa. Here, our duo is comprised of hard-working husband, Dave (Jason Bateman), and weed-smoking bachelor, Mitch (Ryan Reynolds). In a night of cursing, fantasizing, and alcoholism, the two head off to the nearest magic fountain to take a piss, one that’s long enough to refill the Fountain of Life. Dave and Mitch wake up the next morning and are distressed to discover a reality similar to the fate of the heroes of “17 Again”, “Freaky Friday”, “The Hot Chick”, etc.
What we have here is a story that requires only about 80-90 minutes to be fully told. Yet the movie doesn’t end until we reach its 105th minute. The reason for this excessive length is that “The Change-Up” doesn’t want to tell anyone a story. It is, in truth, a lame-brained, foul-mouthed machine whose sole job is to throw as much vulgarity and profanity as possible at its audience. If you finish this movie without finding something that upset you, consult your therapist.
Observing my own responses, I came to realize that crudity isn’t my problem with the movie, since I both admired “The Hangover” and the more recent “Horrible Bosses”. I think the problem with “The Change-Up” is its failure to include the slightest amount of intelligence in the delivery of its filthy humor. The movie is so devoid of wit that the only thing left for us to grasp are exactly what’s been placed in front of us, which is a montage of cussing, shouting, and wayward meanness.
Most of the movie is a verbal attack on the human race, revealing its abominable attitude towards blessings of universal value. (It shares its hateful thoughts on certain topics, then cowardly retreats at the last minute so things could conclude with a smile.) An example of this would be the movie’s mistreatment of infants as a source of comedy. Dave has baby twins, which are now in the care of the naive Mitch. He drops the F Bomb by addressing them as little F’ers as he vocally wonders if the babies are mentally retarded.
In a later scene, the twins are left unattended in the kitchen, where they play with death through knives and electricity outlets. In what sense is this funny? I felt sorry for these infants, especially for the one who keeps banging his head against a crib, infuriated by the fact that his first movie role is in “The Change-Up.”
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