"Vice Versa"
Starring Judge Reinhold and
Fred Savage
Directed by Brian Gilbert
Rated PC
(AP)How do you figure it —
three movies in a row with the
same basic plot? Last year it
was Dudley Moore and Kirk
Cameron changing brains in
“Like Father, Like Son.” Now
we have Judge Reinhold
pulling a switch with his young
son, Fred Savage, in “Vice
Versa.” Soon to come: George
Bums trading identities with his
college-age grandson, Charlie
Schlatter, in “18 Again.”
Such coincidence is
unfortunate, since all three
movies possess the capacity to
entertain.
“Vice Versa,” in fact, is a
nifty comedy of the
supernatural variety. It benefits
from a clever script by Dick
Clement and Ian LaFrenais
(who also produced), lively
direction by Brian Gilbert and
the inspired teaming of
Reinhold and young Savage as
the misplaced father and son.
The role reversal is caused
by a golden skull stolen from a
Thai temple. In “Like Father,
Like Son,” it was a laboratory
potion; in “18 Again,” an auto
crash.
Reinhold is a Chicago
department store executive
who is a less than adequate
part-time parent. His 11-year-
old son lives most of the time
with his mother who is now
remarried. During a brief visit,
father and son touch the skull
and become transformed.
The fun begins, though both
victims are distressed by their
new identities. Reinhold is
more interested in rock music
and his pet frog, but he reports
to the office and tries to fake his
way through matters that are as
foreign to him as trigonometry.
Savage attends school, but
he is bored by the childish
doings and finishes his tests in a
few minutes. He withers the
school bullies and barks orders
to his limo driver. He devises a
radio transmitter so he can
guide Reinhold through an all-
important sales meeting with
the store chief (William Prince).
Much of the hilarity is played
off Reinhold’s attempts to resist
the advances of his sexy date,
Corinne Bohrer, and to explain
his bizarre behavior to his
secretary, Gloria Gifford.
■■■■■
t
Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage star as a father and son who mysteriously switch
bodies in the new comedy “Vice Versa,” directed by Brian Gilbert.
Reinhold (“Beverly Hills
Cop”), with his loony face and
rubbery body, is perfect for this
kind of tomfoolery. Matching
him all the way is Fred Savage
(“The Princess Bride”), who
draws big laughs by mouthing
his adult dialogue. Director
Gilbert and the writer-
producers have devised a
genuinely sweet-natured
movie, with only a few swear
words by Savage to warrant
the PG rating.
D.O.A.
Starring Dennis Quaid and
Meg Ryan
Directed By Rocky Morton
and Annabel Jankel
Rated R
★★★★
“D.O.A.” stars Dennis
Quaid as an English professor
poisoned by a strange and
deadly chemical. He was
poisoned either during a bad
day at work, or a wild night,
and by the time he discovers he
is dying, he has only twenty
four hours to find his murderer.
His only connection to that
night is Meg Ryan, who plays <
college freshman in one of
Quaid’s classes. Together they
retrace their steps, trying to find
out why someone would
murder an English professor.
They cross paths with an
heiress, a psychopathic
chauffeur, a university
benefactor straight from the
twilight zone and a vindictive
police force.
“D.O.A. ” combines talented
acting with good story ideas,
and integrates these to make a
really great film. Quaid gives an
outstanding dramatic
performance that complements
his talents as a rugged
adventurer. Ryan has a
somewhat minor part, but her
portrayal of innocence is so
sincere and convincing that she
manages to rise above a
suprisingly insignificant role.
Even though “D.O.A. ” is an
action thriller, it scrutinizes the
character Quaid plays. Instead
of merely establishing a story,
and then letting shallow
characters get swept along
conventional and predictable
extemes of suspense and
danger, “D.O.A.”creates
characters the audience can
truly care about.
Quaid plays a writer who
received his tenure after
publishing bestselling novels.
He has become afraid of failure
though, and not only has he
stopped writing, he has
stopped living. He is an
intelligent and passionate man,
and unfortunately he must die
to leam how easy it would have
been to realize the aspects of
living he had forgotten. By
focusing on characterization,
the excitement and suspense
seem to naturally follow.
The photography of
“D.O.A. ” is fantastic as well.
The film begins in black and
white, with very grainy shots of
Quaid stumbling to the police
to report his murder. Then, the
action of the film is in color as
Quaid relates the events of the
last thirty-six hours to the
police. These color scenes
utilize photographic techniques
that are almost cliches, but
somehow come together to
create bright impressionism
and shadow-filled surrealism
that is interesting and moving.
An especially memorable
scene is when Quaid finds he
only has a day to live. Sitting in
a blue-lit hospital room whose
walls are covered with X-rays,
he runs into the bright streets,
dashing through dizzy vignettes
of jostling people on the
sidewalk, running across busy
streets, he is completely
confused and upset.
“D.O.A.” is a much
promoted film that more than
fulfills all expectations, and will
set the pace for this season’s
action films.
Review by Matthew Stewart
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