Is the Netflix 'Family Switch' movie with Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms worth watching?
Garner channels her "13 Going on 30" days in a new body-switching comedy
Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers, Brady Noon and Rita Moreno star in the latest addition to this year's holiday movies, Family Switch, on Netflix.
Movie: Family Switch
Where to watch: Netflix
Director: McG
Cast: Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers, Brady Noon, Rita Moreno, Matthias Schweighöfer, Vanessa Carrasco
Runtime: 101 minutes
Watch Family Switch on Netflix
What is 'Family Switch' about?
The basis of Family Switch is essentially the same as other body-switching movies, like Freaky Friday and Garner's hit film 13 Going on 30.
Jess (Garner) is an architect, hoping to become a partner at her firm, and her husband Bill (Helms) is a former rock star who's now the quintessential cool band teacher.
Jess and Bill have two kids, CC (Myers) who's a soccer star, and Wyatt (Noon) is an intellectual with one goal, to get accepted into Yale.
While Jess has a very type-A personality, her daughter CC thrives in chaos. Similarly, while Wyatt is very methodical, his dad is more of a free spirit. That's the clear setup for all the body-switching madness to come.
When the family crosses the path of Rita Moreno's character Angelica, some form of magic results in Jess and CC switching bodies, and Bill and Wyatt swapping as well.
Of course, this happens just as Jess has a critical work presentation, CC has a massive soccer game in front of an important scout, Wyatt has his Yale interview and Bill has a performance with his band.
Is 'Family Switch' worth watching?
If a movie that begins with Garner and Helms dancing to "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" doesn't put you in the holiday mood, I'm not sure what will.
Family Switch really leans into that silly, sometimes wacky, family fun comedy style.
It won't come out on top as our favourite body-switching-themed film, but it definitely knows its place as a comforting addition to this year's holiday movies. In fact, it even references 13 Going on 30 and 17 Again, in a bit of a cheesy wink to very similar films of the past.
Watch Family Switch on Netflix
One thing that comes across in Family Switch is that Garner and Helms really seemed to dive into their characters head first, in a way that feels like they were just really up for getting all the laughs — admittedly to varying degrees of success.
Family Switch is the kind of movie that you can watch with the entire family over the holidays, or put one while you're also trying to get your holiday baking done. It's not particularly innovative, it's not trying to reinvent a genre or push forward any new ideas, it's just trying to be an easy, breezy family comedy.
But be sure to stick around for the bloopers during the credits to see Garner trying to belch repeatedly for a little fun addition to the film.
