Swapped

Directed by Nathan Greno, Swapped follows two creatures (Michael B. Jordan’s Ollie and Juno Temple’s Ivy) as they’re magically placed in different bodies. It’s a straight-forward premise that is, at the outset, employed to surprisingly (and frustratingly) convoluted effect by Greno, as the filmmaker, armed with John Whittington, Christian Magalhaes, and Robert Snow’s screenplay, delivers a slow-moving endeavor that spends much of its opening stretch establishing (and attempting to explain) the fantastical world in which the characters reside – with the far-from-riveting atmosphere initially allayed by the stunning visuals and strong voice work. There’s little doubt, then, that Swapped grows more and more absorbing once the agreeable protagonists experience the aforementioned switch, and it’s clear, as well, that the growing emphasis on a certain villain’s compelling exploits ultimately heightens the increasingly watchable atmosphere – which, when coupled with an exciting, heartfelt final stretch, finally does confirm the picture’s place as an erratic yet rewarding animated piece of work.

*** out of ****