Move over, death and taxes! There’s another guarantee in life. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan making another hit movie.
The beloved Disney classic returns with a hilarious sequel, Freakier Friday, starring the iconic duo. With its Gen Z vibe, the movie builds on past adaptations of of body swapping, but, this time, with a modern feel and an even bigger twist. Instead of two bodies swapping, we get four as Tess Coleman (the grandmother) reprised by Curtis, and Anna Coleman (the daughter, now mother) reprised by Lohan swapping bodies with Anna’s daughter Harper (Julia Butters) and soon to be stepdaughter Lily (Sophia Hammons).
From start to finish, the film hits all the right notes. Those who remember the original when it first premiered will be left reminiscing as they see many cast members reprising their roles twenty-two years later, including one hilarious returning joke involving Jake (Chad Michael Murray), Anna’s high school ex and his unexpected connection with Tess.
There is no denying it, the film is at times cringy, silly even. At one point I closed my eyes and shook my head from the ridiculousness of it all. In my opinion, that’s a true hallmark of what makes these movies fun to watch. They should make you think, “That was stupid,” as you sit laughing in embarrassed disbelief at the characters, and yourself for finding it funny.
The film is essentially a carbon copy of the first, using nearly an identical template of family tension and upheaval. This time, Anna is preparing for her wedding to British restaurateur Eric. A disruption to her 15-year-old daughter’s life as they plan to move to London.
The film manages to still work. In true family-comedy fashion, Lily and Anna’s first introduction leads to chaos at the school. Resulting in their parents meeting for the first time. They spend most of the film at odds, only coming together to break up their parents, so Harper can continue living in Los Angeles, while Lily and her father return to London.
What ultimately makes this film work is its refusal to reinvent the wheel. The film does not take itself to seriously. It pokes fun at both generations, no different than before. Some viewers might see this as a blatant lazy attempt to recapture the magic. Okay, fair.
Yet as the film reached its climax, and the Pink Slips, Anna’s former band performed their iconic song, “Take Me Away.” A repurposed plot line. I both rolled my eyes and choked up remembering the first time I heard it. As the lyrics go, “Don’t wanna grow up, I wanna get out, Hey Take me away.” I found myself wanting to be taken away to when I was a kid watching the first film with my mom. In the end, that is what a film should do. It should welcome you into its world, no matter how cringe-worthy and seemingly ridiculous it appears. It doesn’t overload you with meaningless plot points. Sure, we could’ve benefited from something fresher, something slightly more original. But why? In some recent sequels, this has been a point of concern. Feeling overdone and boring has been something plaguing superhero movies.
In the end, the film mostly balances this well, giving us just the right amount of original and new. Someone could argue, I’ve allowed my childhood memory of the first film to make me love this family far more than I should. But as a movie-goer, isn’t that the point? To fall in love with the characters?
This film will inevitably upset some, but those open to seeing it for what it is—a family comedy filled with tension, love, dumb and embarrassing moments, will find it hits the mark with unexpected gusto. Get ready to be taken away to an even Freakier Friday than before.
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