The Change-Up | Teen Ink

The Change-Up

November 15, 2019
By Anonymous

 The Change-Up is a surprisingly charming comedy that is packed to the brim with jokes and proves to be a fun adventure. The movie revolves around two old friends in Dave and Mitch. Dave is a lawyer and a family man, except it seems like he can't be both. He spends the majority of his time at the office, and when he does come home, he's completely exhausted and drained but still has to take care of his two babies and his little daughter. Mitch is essentially the complete opposite and isn't anywhere close to being like the typical adult. He doesn't really have a steady job, and while he is technically an actor, Mitch just enjoys being a bachelor and lives to party. Because of the two different paths the friends have taken in life, they aren't as close as they once were, seeing as they were once inseparable. However, in one night all of this changes. Dave and Mitch are finally able to find a night that works for both of them, and they eagerly meet up. After a slew of crazy events during that one single night, they end up having an encounter with a magic fountain after admitting that they are jealous of each other's life. The duo then wake up the next morning and realize that they have somehow switched bodies with one another. Because both of them have things that need to be done, they end up deciding that they need to live the other's life. As both of them learn a new style of life and realize that things aren't always better on the other side, they learn how lucky they were originally, but the only catch is that may never get a chance to return to normal. 
 The Change-Up may just seem like a typical comedy, and while this is somewhat true, this doesn't change the fact that the movie proves capable of conjuring up laughs with ease. The beginning of the movie surprisingly does a fantastic job of introducing audiences to all of the characters and their relationships with one another. The middle of the movie does a satisfactory job of progressing things along, but this portion is definitely slightly too predictable. The ending of the movie isn't that enticing or exhilarating, but it does have some heartwarming moments. Although the plot isn't the strongest, it doesn't make the biggest difference on this type of movie. This movie is a comedy that may not be the most sophisticated, relying on laughs more than the storyline, but this doesn't stop the movie from being hilarious from start to finish. 

 As a comedy, The Change-Up should be funny, and it is. Thanks to a clever dialogue, almost all of the lines in the movie are able to help set up future jokes and help to make the characters more likable. The jokes dispersed throughout the dialogue aid the movie in making the movie have a light tone that never becomes dark or depressing in the slightest.  

 Another explanation for the comedy's success is that the cast of The Change-Up is nothing short of stellar. Ryan Reynolds does a spectacular job of playing Mitch, and his portrayals of both Mitch and Dave in Mitch's body are definitely interesting to watch and showcase some amazing acting skills. Jason Bateman does a superb job of transforming into Dave and Mitch in Dave's body, and this highlights all of his talent as he puts personality and drama into both characters. Bateman and Reynolds help to combine together to create an awesome acting duo that makes this movie worth watching. In fact, it wouldn't be that outrageous for some to want to watch this movie for the sole purpose of watching these two actors have fun with their roles and deliver jokes that certainly land. 

 Even though The Change-Up doesn't come up with anything that original or creative, the movie still proves to be entertaining. For those seeking a truly well done movie, this may not be the right choice. However, for those looking for a movie that is genuinely funny, this option has some potential. The movie may be slightly predictable, redundant, and elucidate themes that have been elucidated better before, but none of this is able to alter the fact that the movie's wittiness shines more often than not. 

 The Change-Up isn't the best fit for everyone, since it definitely has some mature content, but for some, this movie is absolutely worth the time to see because it is undeniably amusing. 


The author's comments:

"Life doesn't always turn out exactly how you planned it. Sometimes, just sometimes, it turns out better." - Mitch


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