A romantic comedy like “The Switch” needs a fresh spin to survive the doldrums of late August. Accidental sperm donation, sadly, just isn’t enough.

Jason Bateman stars as Wally, a likable hypochondriac who has long felt romantic feelings for best friend Kassie, played by Jennifer Aniston. Unlucky-in-love Kassie decides to have a baby by way of sperm donor, and Wally isn’t too thrilled with the idea.

At at sperm donation party (odd), Wally gets drunk and, by means too absurd to describe, ends up switching the specimen. The next morning, he doesn’t remember a single thing about the incident.

Kassie moves away and seven years later returns to the city with the child in tow. Wally and the kid share some intense similarities, and Wally begins to remember details of the ol’ switcheroo.

Despite this sitcom-like setup, “The Switch” falls into the typical romantic comedy traps. The voice-over narration is abysmal, and the final act struggles through the same inane “misunderstandings” that cripple so many in this genre. (more…)