Family Switch

This is a cute, feel-good movie that made me laugh out loud a few times and kept me entertained the rest of the time.

This falls squarely in the genre of "Disney-esque" movies that take place during the holidays, with lots of festive bells jingling and ding-donging throughout the score.

I wasn't expecting to raise my IQ by watching it, and of course I didn't. Nor was I expecting a transcendent work of cinematic art, and it wasn't.

But the acting was solid from all characters, the premise (while ridiculous, as all of these "body-swapping" stories are, unapologetically!) remained pretty steady throughout, and although it was predictable and formulaic, it wasn't over-the-top corny. (Sure, it was a little corny, but not TOO bad.)

There's even a cute dance sequence in the middle of the movie that turned suddenly sentimental and made me tear up for no discernable reason except that I am a pathetic sap, lol.

I enjoyed it and would recommend it if, like me, you enjoy sometimes just turning your brain off for a bit during the holidays, and watching something that's basically the cinematic equivalent of a warm snowman-shaped sugar cookie.

I have to admit that I had to watch Family Switch over two viewings. I found it sickly sweet and couldn't cope watching it in one hit. It's the typical oops we have switched bodies but something has to change in the family dynamics before we can be switched back scenario. I can't say that we need 'another' one of these films. If they were hoping it would be some holiday classic, I think they might have somewhat missed the mark.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the film, I just didn't love it either.

Ed Helms was good in it, and so was Jennifer Garner and even the actors playing their kids. But it just felt like it was missing something, or maybe I am too old and jaded for this kind of film anymore.

The switching is not a new idea, ok, but the movie is funny, CHILDREN FRIENDLY and really enjoyable!

Not many films today like this, that you can watch with your 8-year old and your 15-year old and you all laugh! In my humble opinion it is worth watching at home, all together, with pizza or popcorn or whatever you like and get some good family time!

I miss the old movies before all the cgi and fast dialogs and action that are everywhere today. Classic awkward moments and messed situations! Movies like this are missing today!

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean that it's an amazing extraordinary movie but again, which family movie is nowadays?

To summarize, I don't know what all the critics in here are "hating ". Is it worth paying 4 tickets for your family to watch it in cinema? No! But guess what? You don't need to, it's on Netflix! So since you've already paid ENJOY IT!!

The premise is fairly familiar - parents switch bodies with their children, and the structure is exactly what you would expect it to be, but what separates it from the films it references such as Big, 17 Again, Freaky Friday, and 13 Going on 30 (also starring Jennifer Garner) is that they gave room to let its characters breathe and apply a degree of verisimilitude to buy into the concept and the conflict. Right from the start, it appears that the people who worked on this had the mindset of either to go big or to go home, as a lot of it is fairly over-the-top, and comes across desperate to get a laugh from the viewer. The humor has its moments of attempted cleverness, but there is a lot of lowbrow comedy that diminishes the efforts to be smart. What doesn't work in the favor of the picture, is that the premise is presented three times in the story, and because the pace of it is very fast, and they're constantly trying to go for big laughs, there is not a clear enough focus and not enough time to invest in the relationships and conflict. I have not read the story this is based off of, so I cannot judge it as an adaptation, as a motion picture though I would have to describe this as being average at best, I probably would have rated it lower had it been released in theatres and I had to pay more than I do for Netflix monthly to watch it.

Jess (Jennifer Garner) and Bill Walker (Ed Helms) are a happily-married suburban couple, but they fear disconnecting from their kids. Daughter CC (Emma Myers) is the star football player. Son Wyatt (Brady Noon) is a science nerd. They with baby brother and dog go to the Griffith Park Planetarium. With a planetary alignment, a telescope, and psychic Angelica (Rita Moreno), the family get switched.

This is old hat for Jennifer Garner and the movie refers to her movie as well as others. Ed Helms is playing the music nerd teacher although the back story is leading towards former rock star. That conflict does cause some problems. This is mostly fine but very derivative. Garner can easily switch from stuffy to childish. Ed Helms is a little ill-fitting for the role. For example, Brady Noon is trying to play the dad like a leather jacket rocker in one scene and it doesn't fit his other scenes. The dog baby switch would be funnier if the CGI isn't so Son of the Mask. Of course, there is a dance sequence and I like the premise behind it. As for the band tryout, I don't understand why Wyatt with dad inside doesn't just play the gig. He can claim that dad is injured and the son had been learning from the dad. I do question director McG's style. His brand of humor is very broad and very low hanging fruit. This has a few fine comedic moments but most others are lesser family fun.