Family Switch – A Fine Body Swap Comedy (Early Review)

Family Switch is a body swap comedy centered around The Walker family; Jess (Garner), Bill (Helms), CC (Myers), Wyatt (Brady Noon) and 2-year-old Miles (Lincoln/Theodore Sykes) after a chance encounter with an astrological reader Angelica (Rita Moreno) causes them to all switch bodies with each other. From there, they must unite and put aside their differences to land Jess a promotion, Bill a record deal, CC a soccer tryout and Wyatt a college interview all while being in their opposite’s body. That being said, while the film isn’t exactly great, and one can pretty much predict every single direction it takes (reminiscent of other recent family comedies), it’s still a fun and lighter watch that is sure to make for an enjoyable viewing experience with for families over the holidays.

With the exception of the recently released Freaky, which put a nice horror spin to the subgenre, or the recent Jumanji films, body swap comedies have, for the most part, been played out. At this point, it’s hard for them to bring much creativity or originality to the table due to how oversaturated the subgenre has become over the past few decades. Though still enjoyable in the moment, they don’t really offer anything audiences haven’t already seen in older, and usually better films. Family Switch plays it pretty safe, but at the same time, puts a bit of a different spin on the subgenre with multiple body swaps involving all the family members with a swap between a baby and a dog easily leading the pack. However, the film still doesn’t bring enough to the table to warrant a glowing recommendation but what it does succeed at is taking a series of familiar story conventions and executing them well with a good amount of heart and charm.

It is clear that the entire cast had a great time making the film. Garner is too good at responsible mother roles like hers here as Jess and her commitment to the material helps to elevate the film. Helms, meanwhile, is just as good as Bill, and is responsible for the film’s biggest laughs. Myers doesn’t get as much to do comedically as others as CC but still impresses, and Noon does a great job as Wyatt and a younger version of Bill, capturing Helms’ many mannerisms. Running at a nice pace, the film thankfully doesn’t overstay its welcome or try to be anything more than it is. It also doesn’t hurt that it has a big heart that only grows with each passing scene, leading to a heartwarming conclusion. And, while not a huge part of the film, it definitely gets bonus points for being set around Christmas and just like almost any Netflix original, it has a great soundtrack full of recognizable songs.

All thing considered, the film is merely a breezy little family comedy and that one shouldn’t get into with the highest of expectations. For a so-called comedy, it’s never as funny as it should be and, overall, is pretty short on laughs as its humor often either falls flat on its face or goes on for far too long. It’s also about as predictable as a family comedy comes and only scratches the surface when it comes to exploring its characters and their problem. Ultimately, Family Switch will likely play better for families and fans of body swap comedies than anyone else, but there’s still enough to enjoy to warrant a light recommendation this Holiday season.

In the end, Family Switch never rises above being just fine or fun enough but then again, it doesn’t try to, not that every film needs to. It is a pleasant watch that will more than likely entertain and amuse audiences for start to finish, assuming they can get behind its admittedly silly premise.

still courtesy of Netflix

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/