Vice Versa
VICE VERSA (PG)
D: Brian Gilbert
Columbia (Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais)
US 1988
98 mins
Comedy/Fantasy
W: Dick Clement & Ian LaFrenais [based on the
novel "Vice Versa: A Lesson To Fathers" by F. Anstey]
DP: King Baggot
Ed: David Garfield
Mus: David Shire
Judge Reinhold (Marshall Seymour / Charlie Seymour), Fred
Savage (Charlie Seymour / Marshall Seymour), Corinne Bohrer (Sam), Swoosie Kurtz (Lillian Brookmeyer), Jane Kaczmarek (Robyn Seymour)
One of several body-swap movies which burst unto cinema
screens in the late 1980's. This one sees businessman Judge Reinhold and his precocious 11-year-old son switching bodies when they discover a magic skull.
The movie more or less plays out like an all-male version
of Freaky Friday (qv), although the original source novel to this was written in the late 1800's and was previously made by Peter Ustinov in the 1940's.
There's a couple of decent moments and the two lead actors
play their parts well, but in comparison to much better films such as Big (qv), the whole manchild routine becomes all rather monotonous.
5/10
