Published by Mason Oldridge, 18 December 2023
CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Netflix’s new Christmas film comes in the form of a body-swapping comedy.
The plot sees the Walker family involuntarily switch bodies after an incident at an observatory; mother with daughter, father with son and baby with dog. This unsurprisingly happens shortly after they wished they could experience what each other’s lives are like and coincidentally occurs when each person has some really important event going on. From very early on in the film, it is overwhelmingly apparent how unoriginal the story is, following a stereotypical story arc any viewer could foresee.
Considering the film stars established actress Jennifer Garner, comedy regular Ed Helms and rising star Emma Myers (Enid from Wednesday), and is directed by McG, the genius behind The Babysitter, it is all the more disappointing to see the film rely on cheesy comedy and childish gags.
Furthermore, the Christmas setting serves no purpose other than using it as an additional selling point to market the film. It is completely irrelevant to the plot and sees several unrealistic occurrences for Christmas morning such as the email from Yale and the football coach visiting in person.
On the whole, the film is easy-watching and suitable for casual viewing, though this Netflix Original turned out to be anything but.
5/10