Culture Blues

Let’s Review The Change-Up!

As the Culture Blues Intern, it is my duty to record the post-screening discussions of my editors, so that they're not required to "sell out" and write actual cogent criticism.

Jeff emerges from his office after a lengthy "productivity meditation."

Jeff Hart: I just had the weirdest dream.

Intern: Are you ready to review The Change-Up, the summer's most adult body-switching comedy?

Jeff: Yeah sure, let's get it over with. Where's Jeff?

Intern: But, you are...

Jeremiah comes running into the executive lounge/pantry.

Jeremiah White: Did somebody put salvia in my coffee again, cause…

His and Jeff's eyes lock.

Jeff and Jeremiah (in unison): Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!

Jeff and Jeremiah (in unison): We body-switched!

Jeff and Jeremiah (in unison): I thought that only happened in movies.

Snicker.

Jeff: Don't you see? It's because we went to see The Change-Up last night.

Jeremiah: Fucking Ryan Reynolds, man. This never would have happened if Richard Ruccolo had become the movie star.

Jeff: Alright, let's focus. How can we reverse this?

Jeremiah: Isn't it obvious? The only thing that makes any sense is that we'll switch back if we review The Change-Up.

Jeff: Of course! Man, this shit better have happened to Christy Lemire and Ignatiy Vishnevetsky too.

Jeremiah: Stop making jokes I don’t understand with my body!

Jeff: I was really dreading The Change-Up I didn’t think I could stomach a body-switch comedy in 2011 with American Pie-style sophomoric humor, but in the end, The Change-Up's biggest problem, disregarding the inexcusable gross out gags (projectile poop, geriatric softcore, third trimester trysts), is that it just isn't very funny. At all.

Jeremiah: There are some fun bits that seem inspired by drunken what-if scenarios. Like, is it cheating if you have sex when body-switched? Is it cause for gay panic if you shave the pubes of your body when some other dude happens to be inhabiting it? Ultimately though, what could have been clever riffs on a really dumb genre are lost in a mire of crass humor that, like you said, is rarely funny.

Jeff: The script offers up an appropriately no-fuss body-switch scenario that never bothers with whys or what fors. Much like us, they never doubt what needs to be done to fix everything.

Jeremiah: Yeah, it's no-fuss and no-sense. They don’t bother explaining why they magically body-switch, which is nice, I guess. Because I don’t care. The whole movie operates without any concern for logic. This extends to the very existence of Reynolds' character. This womanizing failed actor layabout with no income or understanding of social boundaries, who lives in Atlanta of all places, is too heinous to live, fictional or otherwise.

Jeff: He's ridiculous and a really reprehensible person right up to the final reel (if not frame). I did enjoy watching Jason Bateman cut loose as Reynolds’ character (the douchebag). It's his most aloof performance since Pepper Brooks.

Jeremiah: Yeah, what did you think of the actors pretending to be each other?

Jeff: At first I thought Bateman was doing great and that Reynolds didn't really understand the concept of the movie. But ultimately, it seems these two were chosen partly because performing as each other doesn't require a great departure for either of them. They share a seemingly perpetual sarcasm, a tendency to say things under their breath and trail off at the end of statements. Just by seeing any single scene in the movie, I don’t think anyone would know that Bateman is playing Reynolds and vice versa. I was disappointed they didn't have more fun with the one thing that actually makes body-switch movies unique.

Jeremiah: Yeah, there’s no real effort made to ape each other, like we see in the classic face-switch comedy Face/Off with Travolta and Cage both doing hammy impressions of each other. That’s probably because, in the case of Reynolds and Bateman, there are no distinctive characteristics worth aping. An adult-themed body-switch comedy has potential for some really creative gags, but The Change-Up only wants to go as far as jokes about whose dick is where or in whom.

Jeff:  It’s leering and lowbrow. Pretty much a complete waste of time.

Jeremiah: Agreed. Embarrassing for all involved, especially the actresses that frequently get undressed for this disgusting mess.

Jeff:  Yeah, really makes me yearn for the days of such comedy classics as Van Wilder.

Jeremiah:  Alright, that’s done. Shouldn’t we have switched bodies back by now?

Jeff:  Maybe we didn’t meet our quota of unnecessary nudity. Intern, drop your pants.

Jeremiah: Good idea! While he does that, I’m going to poop in something that’s not a toilet.

Tagged as: jason bateman, ryan reynolds, the change-up, two guys a girl and a pizza place