Would Rob Schneider continue to get movie projects if it weren't for Adam Sandler? That's a question to ponder. I'm guessing no. Since Sandler has gone on to make big bucks, he's assisted Schneider on such epics as Deuce Bigelow, Male Gigalo. While I found last year's The Animal mildly amusing, it's friggin' Gone With the Wind compared to his new film The Hot Chick.

A blatant knock-off of both Carl Reiner's hilarious All of Me (featuring a brilliant, physical turn from Steve Martin) and Penny Marshall's sweet and charming Big (featuring Tom Hanks in his first Oscar nominated performance), Hot Chick is one of those obvious, switcharoo movies, in which Rob Schneider plays a scumbag of a thief who switches bodies with a spoiled, rich teenager through the power of a pair of magical ear-rings. What follows is a series of easy gags, punctuated with familiar infantile humor. While we're on the subject of infantile humor, it should be noted that this movie is a hard PG-13.

Surprisingly, I didn't hate The Hot Chick. I'm not going to tell you that it's a good movie by any means. The first fifteen minutes of this picture features characters so damned annoying, I didn't think I'd make it through the whole movie. There's nothing interesting about the direction, and the screenplay (if there is one) was probably banged out in five minutes. The fact is, there were moments in The Hot Chick that made me laugh. Why, I have no idea. I'm almost ashamed to admit it.

Rob Schneider never really loses himself in the part. It's just Schneider doing stereotypical girlie things. Martin goes through a transformation in All of Me. No such luck here. This performance is full of obvious gimmicks, and it really wears thin. Still, there is something slightly amusing about seeing Schneider parade around in woman's clothing. It's Anna Faris (Scary Movie) as Schneider's best friend who really keeps the movie from becoming a total waste. This charming, somewhat goofy performer is amusing and provides a unique comic rhythm. The Hot Chick is also lucky enough to have some talented actors in bit parts including Adam Sandler (no surprise there) as a dread-locked antique shop clerk, and Robert Davi (Die Hard) as Faris' father.

The Hot Chick is extremely crude, and much of it's politically incorrect humor made me laugh. I also liked that there is a message to be found buried deep within this sporadic comedy. Yes, this movie isn't without it's sweetness. Unfortunately, the rushed and uninspired spirit of this movie, keeps it from being anything remotely resembling memorable.