Despite not drawing nearly as many box office dollars as others, the “Freaky Friday” franchise has proven to be one of Disney’s safest mainstays. With three theatrical films, four made-for-TV movies, and a stage musical, it’s safe to say this version of the story lives somewhere in the head of most audience members, whether they realize it or not. Now, the first direct sequel and the third theatrically released film is here, bringing back the cast of the 2003 remake and seeking to further push Disney’s recent brand of sweet nostalgia within the theatrical market.
Set twenty-two years after the 2003 film, this film follows Anna Coleman, played by Lindsay Lohan (“The Parent Trap (1993),” “Mean Girls (2004)”), and Tess Coleman, played by Jamie Lee Curtis (“Halloween (1978),” “Everything Everywhere All At Once”), struggling on the cusp of Anna’s wedding. Her daughter Harper, played by Julia Butters (“The Fabelmans (2022),” “American Housewife”), refuses to get along with her future stepsister Lily, played by Sophia Hammons (“The Absence of Eden,” “Under Wraps”). When their feud comes to a head, the four of them find themselves swapping bodies: Anna swapping with Harper and Tess swapping with Lily. While this would already create confusion and complications leading up to the wedding, Lily and Harper have even worse plans: to call off the wedding between Anna and Lily’s father Eric, played by Manny Jacinto (“The Good Place,” “The Acolyte”).
While none of the original writers or directors return, this latest film does great work in keeping the same tone and style that the original had back in 2003. Director Nisha Ganatra (“Late Night,” “The High Note”) and co-writers Elyse Hollander and Jordan Weiss (“Dollface,” “Sweethearts”) keep the light snark and family friendly amounts of rebellious attitude in ample supply. This is still a Disney film after all, but they push right up against the boundaries and, like the first film, create what most tweens would call the edgiest film they’ve ever seen. They also load the film with far more subplots than the first, creating a longer, more bloated film as a result.
Gone is the simplicity of the first film’s premise of mother and daughter in each other’s shoes. Now, with four characters switching, more time is spent on the awkwardness, the differing bodies, and the jokes surrounding them. This material is still fun, but much of this was also done in the first film in the same way. And the fact that they’re now doing it for twice as many characters can lead to plenty of great lines lacking impact given how many times jokes like it are repeated. The multiple characters also means a longer film, and this sequel is almost a half hour longer than the first. While there’s certainly more material here, it also means that the film drags in the middle as all the pieces are starting to fall into place and definitely does so before the switch takes effect.
Luckily, this is the perfect example of a film elevated by a cast completely letting loose. Curtis and Lohan are completely fantastic, easily sliding back into these “kids in trench coats” kinds of performances that they excelled at twenty-two years ago. They not only play off each other fantastically, but they do a great job at the “playing a person playing someone else” element of the role that most others would likely stumble over. Butters and Hammons are also great together and turn what could have easily been two annoying “kids as adults” performances into something special. Like Lohan and Curtis, their turn from annoying teens to their “adults in kid bodies” performances are impressive and effective. Jacinto is a surprise as well, channeling his awkward heart of gold persona into a shredded single dad that plays his “too good to be true” aspect for comedy in the best ways. He’s completely in on the joke and is all the better for it.
The most disappointing aspect of the film, especially in comparison to the 2003 film, is simply how bland everything looks. The costumes are fun, especially when you see a teen’s version of adult clothes, but the look of the film is closer to a Capital One commercial than a theatrical film. The cinematography is flat, the lighting is flat, the colors look washed out. Yes, this is a Hollywood mid-budget comedy, but there have been and are still Hollywood mid-budget comedies that look exceptionally better than this. And one of them was the 2003 film.
“Freakier Friday” is the sort of film that gives you exactly what you expect, no more no less. Curtis, Lohan, Butters, and Hammons are great, and the script has fun with the material and colliding conflicts as things progressively get messier. If it was cut down a bit or had a tighter pace, or even looked better, it's not hard to see this being just as beloved as the 2003 film. As it stands, it's a fun little nostalgic flick that is definitely worth your time, even if it doesn’t excel. 3.5/5
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