Two out of Five stars
Running time: 112 mins

Despite the best efforts of Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman and Olivia Wilde The Change Up is an entirely predictable film based on an over-used premise and no amount of star power or strong acting can rescue it from its gross out humour.

What's it all about?
Following in the footsteps of Freaky Friday, 17 Again and 13 Going on 30 two childhood friends wish they had each other’s lives while drunk and urinating in a fountain. Mitch Planko (Ryan Reynolds) is a struggling actor who has never been able to commit to anything except his best friend Dave Lockwood (Jason Bateman). Lockwood is an over-worked lawyer with a beautiful wife and three children though spends more time at work than with them. By some supernatural occurrence they get their wish and wake up in each other’s bodies. While trying to figure out how to get back into their own bodies they seen begin to realise each other’s lives aren’t as rosy as they thought they were.

The Good
Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman and Olivia Wilde pull of impressive performances, given the wooden script they’re given to deal with. The most satisfying product of the movie is seeing Reynolds and Bateman embody the characteristics of the other while “in” each other’s bodies. Unfortunately this is the only enjoyable part of the movie.

The Bad
The main problem with this film is it is entirely predictable. There’s not one good surprise or plot twist throughout almost to the point where you know how it’s all going to end so you don’t bother caring about the adventure. The gross-out humour is well overused these days with the recent films like The Hangover Part II and Bridesmaids but this just reinforces the fact that there is very little to like about this movie beyond it’s charismatic stars.

Worth seeing?
While I didn’t find myself waiting for this movie to end there certainly wasn’t much keeping me in my seat. If you’re after a movie to take your partner to for some naughtiness in the back row this is it. If you’re after a movie to completely zone out to this is it. If you’re after an enjoyable comedy you’ll laugh so hard at you’ll cry… go see something else.