Growing up, did you ever wonder what it would be like to see the world through your parents’ eyes? Or as an adult, have you ever wished you were young again?
In “Family Switch”, Netflix’s new comedy for the holiday season, one family gets to experience this, much to their horror.
Meet the Walkers: Bill (Ed Helms), the family patriarch and a music teacher who once dreamed of becoming a rock star, and Jess (Jennifer Garner), the super mom who is also an architect.
They have three kids: CC (Emma Myers) who is a soccer star; Wyatt (Brady Noon), a science star aka nerd, and toddler Miles. Oh, and an adorable dog, Pickles.
Yup, they are the classic family of overachievers. But this rosy picture has a few imperfections: the parents feel they cannot connect with their kids. And the kids moan that their parents JUST DON’T GET THEM!
Well, the Walkers are in for a surprise – or rather shock – when they meet Angelica (Rita Moreno), a mysterious fortune teller, during a rare planetary alignment.
They wake up the next day to discover that everyone has swapped bodies – Bill with Wyatt and Jess with CC. Even Miles and Pickles – yup, you guessed it – have switched bodies too.
Directed by McG (Charlie’s Angels, Terminator Salvation), the plot of the movie is pretty predictable: an encounter with a stranger shrouded in mystery on a night when a cosmic event takes place. Chaos and comedy ensue followed by a life lesson at the very end.
Watching the movie, one can’t help but be reminded of “Freaky Friday” and Garner’s “13 Going on 30”. Speaking of the latter, has it really been almost 20 years since that movie was released?
Garner, tackling the role of a teenager trapped in an adult’s body, is a trip down memory lane for those who watched “13 Going on 30”. And just as she did before, she balances humour with a sense of warmth in this role too. Impressively, she still looks pretty much the same, even after all these years!
But it is Myers who delivers the more entertaining performance as she impersonates Garner as Jess stuck in a teenager’s body.
Also, with an entire family swapping bodies, keeping track of who is who can be disconcerting at first. Plus, the incident takes place during a very important week for the Walkers: Jess has an important presentation that will determine if she makes partner.
Bill’s band “Dad or Alive” is auditioning for a competition show.
A scout is coming to CC’s soccer game which would determine if she makes it to the national team and Wyatt has an interview for early acceptance into Yale. Yes, a lot hangs in the balance for the Walkers – and it’s the Christmas season!
Only Miles and Pickles’s life seem hardly unchanged – all they still do is eat, sleep, poop, play and repeat – proving once again that babies and dogs have the best lives ever.
Honestly, at times, it can feel like there is just TOO much going on that viewers may feel like they only connect with the characters on the surface. Focusing on fewer key characters could perhaps have given the film more depth.
For example, there is no convincing explanation as to why Bill gave up an opportunity to play with a band that eventually became famous.
Or how Jess, who was once in the Junior Olympics team, felt when she had to quit after hurting her shoulder. This perhaps could have made the film more heartwarming and less lukewarm.
And more screen time for the dazzling Rita Moreno, the fortune teller with the mischievous – but endearing – twinkle in her eye. She is, after all, the only cast member who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award.
However, the movie does leave viewers with important – and timeless – lessons: to be more understanding of your loved ones and never judge a person unless you’ve walked in their shoes (or gone through a body swap with them).
With the year-end festivities – and family gatherings – around the corner, these are always good reminders to have.
‘Family Switch’ is streaming on Netflix.