Plot: What’s it about?
I had moderate expectations for Date and Switch before seeing it. I tend to like movies that often fall under the radar and figured this might have its charms. Truth be told, the title doesn’t really give a clear indication of what it’s about. I assumed that it would be some sort of comedy where the characters switch dates with each other or something alone those lines. It is far from that andsadly, a big waste of time. This falls in the utterly forgettable category. There’s not an ounce of wit on display here, instead, it borrows heavily from several other far superior teen comedies such as Superbad and the American Pie films (among others). Michael (Nicholas Braun) and Matty (Hunter Cope) are two best friends who vow to lose their virginity. Things become complicated, however, when Matty comes out of the closest. Michael then decides to help his friend find a boyfriend. As I mentioned, the whole losing your virginity plot has been done to death, but even with that basic framework, great results can be achieved. Date and Switch instead settles for lame, obvious gags and doesn’t push itself far enough into any direction to garner much interest. As an R-rated teen sex comedy, the laughs just aren’t there. As a coming of age tale, it also fails. The characters here just aren’t that interesting or likeable.
I’d like to say things at least begin well in this film, but I’d be lying. From the opening moments we see these characters driving around town acting like buffoons. This almost appears as leftover stock footage that went unused in other teen films. Even when Matty comes out of the closest, there’s very little drama or suspense as to who else might find out. I have no trouble forgiving a film’s formulaic plot if it in turn has big laughs or compelling characters. That’s not the case here. One thing you don’t want from a comedy is for it to be boring, but Date achieves that task, sadly. The film even has the all too familiar scene where a parent walks in on his son watching porn. Nick Offerman and and Gary Cole play the respective fathers and do manage a few mild chuckles, they still can’t redeem the lackluster script. I won’t get started on the nude bubble party at a bar. The less said about that, the better. Really, the less said about this film the better. I’d far recommend more recent teen flicks such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower or The Spectacular Now over this flick any day of the week. If you’re seeking laughs then re-watch American Pie or Superbad instead.
Video: How’s it look?
The film was lame, but this transfer gets a passing grade. There’s a nice clean look throughout the whole thing. Colors remained solid and deep and the print was crisp as it should be for such a recent film. The film’s bright and sunny location is perfectly highlighted in HD and shows strong detail throughout. Flesh tones were nice and smooth with no flaws to speak of. The image is AVC encoded with a 2.39:1 ratio.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The DTS HD track should also please fans. I wasn’t crazy about much of the music in the film, but it’s presented nicely here. The front channels stayed the most active, but the rears kicked in when needed. Dialogue was always easy to understand without any distortions or other flaws. There are a few party sequences which showed good range as well. There’s a bit of a kick hereand there too during some of the louder sequences.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- The making of Date and Switch – Is just a standard behind the scenes look that feels like an extended promo.
- Deleted Scenes – Mostly extended scenes, but there are some decent moments here. I don’t think any should’ve been in the film, but fans should enjoy them.
- Prom: A rite of passage – This takes a look at the prom sequence in the film. It’s more of the same and holds little value.
- Audio Commentary – The Director (Chris Nelson) and Writer (Alan Yang) provide a running commentary track for the film.
- Previews
- Digital copy
