The funniest moment in the new film The Switch arrives within the first 2 minutes, involving a mentally disturbed man standing on the street corner and has absolutely nothing to do with the story whatsoever. It’s a shame too because even though Jason Bateman has been around since the early 80’s, It hasn’t been till this past decade where he has really made a name for himself and has stopped being referred to as that guy who starred in Teen Wolf Too.
Bateman plays Wally Mars, a neurotic guy who’s best friend Kassie (Jennifer Aniston) has recently turned 40 and decides this is the point in her life to have a baby. Since Kassie is single, she decides to look for a sperm donor, and she finds one in Roland (Patrick Wilson). Wally’s bottled up feelings for Kassie causes him to get completely drunk during her “getting pregnant” party. In the midst of his drunken state, he replaces Roland’s sperm with his own. Because Wally was so intoxicated while making the switch, he does not even remember doing it the next morning.
Cut to 7 years later, Kassie decides to move back home with her now 6 year old son Sebastian (played by the way to cute for words Thomas Robinson). Once Wally meets Sebastian he slowly starts to realize that there are way too many similarities between the kid and himself to be just a coincidence.
Bateman is fine as Wally but I just wish he was given better material to work with. Aniston on the other hand is exactly the same as she is in most of her films. I really can’t understand why she is so popular other than the fact that she is very likeable. I just do not find her interesting at all.
I would love to give a special mention to Jeff Goldblum who is just terrific as Wally’s friend Leonard. He steals every scene he is in. Even Juliette Lewis reminded me why I think she should work more, but I know she rather be on tour with her band. I wish both actors were inserted into more of the film, it might have livened it up a bit.
The Switch is not a bad movie by any means, but I just do not feel it’s worth your $10 at a theater. This is the type of movie that you might watch at home on cable or a DVD without shutting it off halfway through, but you most likely won’t be thinking too much about it once it’s over
By: Marc Ferman
