I never quite liked Rob Schneider. I didn’t hate him though as, back then, I saw him as more of a budget version of Jim Carrey. During the early 2000s, he released several movies that were literally everywhere. Since they were easier and cheaper to get than other big comedies, they were on television almost every month. The first one was Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, followed by The Animal and the movie we’re going to be talking about today. The Hot Chick is a reasonably funny body-swap comedy featuring a great cast and brisk pacing. Schneider plays Clive, a petty criminal who ends up switching bodies with the eponymous hot chick, Jessica.
This will lead to some awkward and funny situations, as you can already guess. Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls) plays the hot girl Jessica while Anna Faris (Scary Movie) plays her best friend April. After more than 20 years, The Hot Chick also features a hefty dose of nostalgia. The clothes, the music, and pretty much everything else reeks of the early 2000s and I know some of you will appreciate this. I know I sure did. Just like almost all of the comedies of that time period, this one also features a couple of raunchy jokes and situations. Raunchy jokes and situations we surely wouldn’t get if the movie was made today.
Still, you should know that The Hot Chick is a PG-13 movie, meaning we won’t get a lot of dirty jokes or, Satanforbid, nudity. Just imagine if this was an eighties movie, how it would feel and look like. If they were willing to go all the way, I think we would be looking at a much better movie. After all, this was a wild time with a lot of wild comedies where nothing was off-limits. And all of these comedies were financially successful. Since our girl gang is still in high school, we will get all the usual high school drama. A bit of romance, a bit of rivalry, and a whole lot of attitude and style.
Just one year later, we will get an opportunity to check out another body-swap comedy, Freaky Friday. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, it was a huge hit, making over $160 million on a $25 million budget. As I already mentioned, I think that you will like The Hot Chick even if you don’t like Mr. Schneider. And I’m saying that fully knowing that he got a lot of haters during the last few years. As I always say, try to separate the art from the artist. Additionally, Rob was really kicked in the balls during the fight scene, so there’s that.
Seeing him trying to be a 17-year-old girl was charmingly funny and I think this is Rob’s best movie, apart from the original Deuce Bigalow. Too bad we didn’t get a lot of scenes with McAdams trying to be a 30-something “man’s man”. What scenes we did get were hilarious. Faris and young Maritza Murray, who plays Keecia, were just as good. Adam Sandler also appears in the movie, playing the stoner store clerk, I mean, who else? There’s no doubt that The Hot Chick is a dumb and forgettable comedy, a definition of a guilty pleasure. As such, I’m sure you’ll find the right time for an experience like this.
Especially when you consider the fact that movies like this are practically nonexistent nowadays. Finally, if you’re looking for more body-swap comedies, The Change-Up, 13 Going on 30, and 17 Again aren’t too bad. 2020’s Freaky, a horror comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton, is also a good choice.
Director: Tom Brady
Writers: Tom Brady, Rob Schneider
Cast: Rob Schneider, Rachel McAdams, Anna Faris, Alexandra Holden, Maritza Murray, Matthew Lawrence
Fun Facts: The first batch of viewers were grossed out by Rob Schneider painting his toenails during the test screening.
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IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0302640/
