The Good, the Bad, and the Mediocre

Freaky Friday rip-offs

THE GOOD: Vice Versa
Every now and again, a rising star and a falling star meet each other and create a work of art that stands the test of time, and is ultimately seen as a turning point in both their careers. More frequently, two middle-of-the-road actors are thrown together to rush out some forgettable crap in order to capitalize on a trend, and unwittingly create a sublimely moronic piece of trash that can be studied and enjoyed for generations. Such is the case with Vice Versa, a film starring Judge Reinhold (fresh off the heels of his successful role in Beverly Hill Cop 2) and Fred Savage (an unexpected Tiger Beat heartthrob due to his starring role in the television series The Wonder Years) as a father and son that end up switching bodies when they touch some ancient clay vase at the same time, or something like that. There are many stupid things about this movie that we could discuss at length, but perhaps the most tickling is the way Fred Savage acts the pants off of Reinhold in nearly every opporunity. While Reinhold seems to portray his teenaged son as a naive, brain-damaged doofus, Savage plays the adult role adequately, and hold the entire picture together (well, as much as can be expected). When they return back to their original selves, they each take away with it a little lesson about life, love, and box office failure. Actually, I suppose Judge Reinhold already learned that last lesson.

THE BAD: Big
Really the culprit that restarted the Freaky Friday rip-off movie craze, this movie is technically better than either of the other films listed here or any other movie in the category. The directing, the acting, and the overall script is lightyears ahead of the other motion pictures. What bothers me is this: Josh (played by Tom Hanks as an adult) wishes to be big and live in the adult world where life is perceived as being easier. He gets his wish, and immediately moves off to Manhattan where he gets an incredible studio apartment, an amazing job as a toy developer, a hot chick that can't get enough of him, and is generally loved by everyone he comes into contact with. So then the fucking kid gets homesick and returns back to his parents! Some of us adults that had to get "big" the normal way take a little umbrage at that. I like to satisfy myself by believing that Josh did grow up, went to college, developed a serious heroin addiction, and wound up panhandling on the steps of the New York Public Library. Lesson learned: don't look a gift horse in the mouth, asshole.

THE MEDIOCRE: 18 Again!
Almost simply by virtue of having an exclamation point in the title, 18 Again! is a comedy that easily surpasses Freaky Friday, a requisitely simple matter that must be accomplished to even be considered for this list. It stars stage and silver screen legend George Burns and some nobody twerp named Charlie Schlatter. Burns is a smug, wealthy grandfather that wishes to be--you guessed it--eighteen again, and through a series of events that I only vaguely remember, switches bodies with his grandson (played by Schlatter). Burns ends up in a coma, while Schlatter carouses around his university campus, impressing hot chicks with his ballroom dancing and penchant for big, smelly cigars. Turns out all those airheads wanted all along was some gum-sucking, petrified weirdo that could sweep them off their feet and regale them with tales of the Herbert Hoover era. What sets this movie apart from so many comedies made in the 1980s is that there are no gangsters or racketeers following Schlatter around the whole movie that force him to have to switch bodies again, he just has an ethical crisis and the deed is done. Reportedly, Burns did this movie for a lot less than his usual fee because he got to sleep throughout most of the shooting. Lukily, the audience was able to sleep throughout most of the viewing.