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Vice Versa
- PG
- Genre: Comedy
- 1988
Common Sense Media says
Sweet dad-son switcheroo has booze, cursing.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this heartwarming father-son flick is full of swearing and drinking -- often by 11-year-old Charlie while he's possessed by his father's spirit. The movie also features warring, divorced parents. Marshall even tells his son that his ex-wife is someone he can't stand. Marshall also steals a police car and is rude to his assistant.
What's the story?
Marshall Seymour (Judge Reinhold) ignores his assistant, takes his relationship with girlfriend Sam (Corinne Bohrer) for granted and is an absentee dad to his 11-year-old son Charlie (Fred Savage). When he's forced to spend time with his son because his ex-wife (Jane Kaczmarek) is going on vacation, he doesn't know what to do with him. He can't relate to his messiness, his love of frogs, or his obsession with rock music. But when Marshall accidentally received a stolen Tibetan temple artifact, he and his son are suddenly in different bodies. Now Marshall has to learn what it feels like to be a short 11-year-old surrounded by bullies, and Charlie must learn to navigate the corporate jungle, where every day Marshall's job seems to hang on the line.
Is it any good?
VICE VERSA is a well-meaning but essentially mediocre retelling of the life-switch generational comedy. Vice Versa is harmless enough -- despite the tween drinking that Charlie does while possessed by his dad's spirit -- but never quite finds the right balance between the wacky hijinx of the original Freaky Friday and an afterschool special on intergenerational love and understanding.
Part of the problem is casting: Neither Savage nor Reinhold are very convincing in their roles as child and adult, respectively. Savage is way more convincing as the take-charge dad than as a flighty kid. And Reinhold steals the film when he's hamming it up as Charlie (and is endearing as a scared child in an adult's body). But as an adult again? He seems to have had too much fun as a kid to want to grow up again.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about ways they make time for one another. Do kids feel like their parents are too busy for them? How do parents make time for their kids? What do you like to do together and how often do you get to do it?
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Kid, 12 years old
July 19, 2010
AGE
WHY?
why would they pr*ck and bulls**t, and s**t and a**hole on PG??? these words are only for rated PG-13 stuff and above.
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AGE
good movie
This movie is just like Like Father Like Son a body switching movie . i think its a good movie funny and ofcourse a fanasty. so kids 9 and up can watch it . its a good movie
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy |
| Studio: | Sony Pictures |
| Director: | Brian Gilbert |
| Cast: | Fred Savage, Jane Kaczmarek, Judge Reinhold, Swoosie Kurtz |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 99 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | March 11, 1988 |
| DVD release date: | April 27, 2004 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
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