Plot: Kassie's (Jennifer Aniston's) biological clock is ticking down, and she wants to get a sperm donor. Wally Mars (Jason Bateman) is Kassie's BFF and former boyfriend. He naturally is really in love with her, and SWITCHES (ha! that's the title) his sperm for the sperm donor's. Time passes. The kid becomes a precocious and neurotic 1st grader. The rest of the movie is humor based on this premise.
Review: Like children's and horror movies, romantic comedies have their own rating system. Yes this was unrealistic, and it was done just for fun with no real morale, message or insight into the human condition -- despite a pithy voiceovers at the beginning. But in the romantic comedy universe, this was pretty good. This film is more artificial and arranged than most -- it is more of a fantasy. If you are looking for a drama or an action movie you'll be disappointed.
Jason Bateman is great in this movie, and he makes the film worth watching. Jennifer Anniston is good also, and there is some good chemistry between them early in the film. Jeff Goldblum steals every scene he is in.
The child, Sebastian (Thomas Robinson), has unnaturally adult dialog, which is funny at first, but also moves the story along faster; another example of the artificiality of the film.
Still it is a cheerful, likable movie, that provides a diverting movie experience, and it is better than most romantic comedies.
Cast: Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, Jeff Goldblum, Thomas Robinson
Directed by: Josh Gordon, Will Speck; based on the short story The Baster by Jeffrey Eugenides
Rating: 2.5 flasks because the acting was good, but not higher because this is still a forgettable comedy.
More: Did they use the word "sperm" in the movie at all? Perhaps once.
Even more: I wondered how long Jeff Goldblum was going to keep explaining over and over that the sperm got switched.
