Hey everybody, and welcome to a new review! Today, I am going to be taking a look at a long belated follow up to what is considered by many to be a Disney childhood classic. 2003’s Freaky Friday was a remake of the 1976 film of the same name starring Jodie Foster, and was a solid financial hit as well as a well received film that has remained popular among kids who grew up in the early to mid 2000s. It was not a film I myself ever watched as a kid, so I don’t have that nostalgic attachment, however I did watch it for the first time this year and found it to be a highly enjoyable family comedy that was fun to watch. I can’t say I had strong feelings towards there being a follow up, as it feels like an attempt to appeal to nostalgic adults and the original works as a one and done story. That, and the fact that years later comedy sequels tend to be very hit or miss. However, I was willing to give this the benefit of the doubt and it is kind of refreshing to see Disney produce a mid budget film like this for theaters (genuinely cannot remember the last time they did that). So, how did this body switch fair, more than 20 years later? Let’s jump right in and see what crazy shenanigans, this Friday has in store!
Set 22 years after the mother-daughter pair of Tess and Anna Colman swapped bodies, the latter has now become a music producer and single mother to her teenage daughter, Harper. Harper has turned out to be quite the rebellious type, meaning Anna’s life can be a bit of a hassle, with Tess being more than willing to help out, even when Anna doesn’t want the aid. One day, when Harper gets into trouble with her fellow classmate with a snobbish personality, Lily, Anna ends up running into Lily’s father, Eric, and they end up hitting off quite well. Cut to six months later and the two are happily dating each other and about to be engaged much to the annoyance of their daughters, especially Harper, who fears that this engagement will lead the family to move to London, where Lily wants to go to Fashion school. One night at Anna bachelorette party, the two daughters as well as Tess and Anna get separate palm readings from a psychic that leads all four of them to switch bodies when they wake up in the morning. Anna ends up in switching with Harper, while Tess with Lily. Now the mother daughter duo hope to reverse this before the wedding commences, while the two girls, use this in order to try and stop this marriage from happening.
A net benefit that this particular follow up has, is that the scenario of different personalities switching bodies is inherently a fun idea for a comedy and there are numerous creative possibilities that can be done with it as shown by the original film. This is something that director, Nisha Ganatra, and writer, Jordan Weiss, remember as they are able to take advantage of how that situation would occur in a modern day setting and making there be more than just two individuals switching. We get plenty of funny beats where we see the characters interacting in their newfound bodies and with it being very amusing seeing what they can stand about them (Lily being in an older woman’s body in particular funny as the horror she has can’t help but get some solid laughs) and what they enjoy about them (Anna and Tess enjoying being young again). The comedy works consistently and manages to stay engaging throughout the runtime, however I was a surprised at how well the film worked on an emotional level. The main conflict is well where one can understand why the characters are acting the way they do and I think the development for the two kids is especially worthwhile as we see them come to learn from each other and even about their parents by inhabiting their day to day life.
Like the original, there’s a nice throughline regarding the relationship between parents and their kids and how both can learn a lot from one another. Having more people in different stages of life involved as well as there being in a step family element to it, helps in presenting this in a fresh way that many families can relate to. The melodrama works and I do think there are some very nice pay offs in the family, that one can see coming, but still land as intended. The film also does a nice job acknowledging the time between installments and how much our characters have changed over time, which is something I like seeing in the best of legacy sequels. Even the callbacks work well as intended and are cleverly incorporated without being distracting (the use of “Hit Me Baby…” in one scene is especially a neat touch). Now, I do think the movie runs a little longer than it needs to at 1 hour and 50 minutes as its length is felt, especially once we get into the third act, and I just don’t think this is the kind of film that necessarily needs that much time. Also, as much as I enjoyed Anna and Tess’s side of the story, Harper and Lily’s side is where the most progression goes and is slightly focused in regards storytelling. It definitely feels like that is where the most time was spent in terms of development.
Even with the updated times, I do appreciate how Ganatra attempts to give this film the same kind of energy that the original film had. While not as much of a punk rock attitude, there is still a hyperkinetic feel when necessary that adds to the comedic bits and makes the proceedings very lively. I’m not going to say this is the best looking film of the year or anything like that, but the candy coated color palate completely fits the film’s vibe and I enjoyed a lot of the fun touches here and there, like some of the scrapbook sequences to get across information. Editing wise, Eleanor Infante does a good job in juggling the plotlines and switching between them at the right moments and does well in the scenes of slapstick and comedy, knowing what shots to cut too to elicit the most laughs. Even the use of pop music is nicely done, as they are placed well into given scenes and fit the bubbly energy. The climax especially works in this regard as we get some truly lovely singing beats that pack an emotional oomph that in lesser hands, would not have felt earned.
When it comes to our four leads, I was very impressed by how they were able to juggle everything on their plate. Of course, it is very nice to see Lindsay Lohan back, as she does this kind of thing very well and I enjoyed seeing how her character has changed as an adult, now understanding what her mother must have been going through she was younger. She’s more mature and has grown, but still does have that same spirit inside that she had as a teenager. Jamie Lee Curtis is a joy as always as Tess, not skipping a beat as the most level headed of the group and I like the contrast between her and Anna as she has become much more fun and lively has a grandmother now and I think that speaks to the way people can find themselves in new places when ageing up that didn’t seem possible in another time. When it comes to time for them to switch they both excel, with Curtis in particular slaying it playing a snobbish teenager, getting the mannerisms down pat and also faring the best in the more emotional sections, giving Lily more depth than she could’ve had. Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons, however are also able to hold their own against the legacy players as Harper and Lily respectively. The former channels that fiery spirit that Lohan did so well in the first, while the latter plays the pompousness up well, but still managing to have more depth to her as she has her own genuine love for fashion. One does end up understanding where they come from and I do think their bond is nicely developed as we see them learn some valuable lessons. Butters and Hammons are also a joy when they get to play the personalities of people who are much older than them with Hammons especially playing “calm Jamie Lee Curtis” perfectly.
In the case of the supporting cast, we have a nice mix of old and new players, each getting some time to shine. I really enjoyed a lot of the new characters with the stand out for me being Manny Jacinto as Eric. He works as both a charming love interest who feels like a good match for Anna as well as a genuinely good person wants what’s best for everyone in this newfound family that he gotten himself into, to the point where I ended up feeling really bad for him when certain things happen. Jacinto and Lohan have a playful chemistry too that makes that relationship shine, with their first meet up, and the principal’s response to it, being among the film’s highlights. Also found quite a bit of enjoyment from Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Ella, the famous pop singer that Anna is working with who is going through her own hardships and the way she ends up connecting to the story I thought was clever as it touches upon what Anna thought she had to give away when she became a mother. Vanessa Bayer is also very enjoyable as the fortune teller, Madame Jen, who is essentially what if a fortune teller was just trying to meet ends meet.
When it comes to the returning faces, it was neat seeing them again and I like how they were utilized. In particular, I liked how Mark Harmon’s Ryan is still just as nice of a guy as he was in 2003 as Anna’s step dad, and how his relationship with Tess has been well maintained with their interactions having a warmth to them. He’s a character that could’ve easily been written out for the sake of added drama, so him still being around was refreshing. In a similar boat, is Chad Michael Murray returning as Anna’s ex boyfriend, Jake, who also is incorporated in a way I mostly enjoyed. Murray subverts expectations as this is a guy who could’ve easily been a bad boy archetype, but instead is a very chill and just good hearted guy with some cool music taste. His role in the plot makes sense and I appreciated that he’s not trying to pine for Anna and is instead in support of her marrying Eric. As odd as the gag involving him falling for Tess is (especially now), it is acknowledged to be ridiculous and I did enjoy one moment at the very end that addresses it. We get plenty of other welcome returns, but oddly enough among the ones I enjoyed the most was Stephen Tobolowsky as Anna’s rude former teacher, Mr. Bates, who is back and filled with just as much resentment towards that family as before. Is it silly that he is still teaching there after all this time and still holds a grudge? Of course, but the movie understands that and has fun with it and Tobolowsky is having a ball being a detention student’s worst nightmare.
On the whole, I had a surprisingly fun time with Freakier Friday as it ends up being among the better comedy sequels I have seen as of late. It could use some work pacing wise, follows the expected beats and is a bit uneven in regards to handling the two plot lines, however it is never less than entertaining, the concept is still taken advantage of, the heart is maintained, it has a lot of energy, our four main characters have a solid interactions, and the performances are a lot of fun. If you grew up enjoying the original and/or are a fan of it, then this will likely be a good time with familiar company and if you just want a nice, solid comedy, then this also delivers. I think it ends up being a worthy follow up that manages to capture that charm of its predecessor a lot more than I thought it would. Also just nice to see a comedy like this made at the theatrical level and I hope this movie’s success leads Disney to realize they can do more just release only tentpoles on a yearly basis. It’s a good example of what a comedy sequel can be if done correctly and stands with the recent likes of Bill & Ted Face the Music and Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice as recent ones to point out in this regard.
Rating: B+
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