For me, watching Freakier Friday — the brand new sequel to the 2003 body-switch comedy starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis — led to a change in perspective: I used to be now a fan of two Freaky Friday motion pictures headlined by Lohan and Curtis.
From Curtis’ nostalgic and still-hilarious portrayal of waking up as a 15-year-old inhabiting her step-grandmother’s physique to entertaining scenes with a job-switching fortune teller (Saturday Night time Stay alum Vanessa Bayer), the sequel affords wacky and laugh-out-loud moments. It would not work with out the dedication of its stars, Curtis and Lohan. Fortunate for viewers, the returning duo is evidently all in for the larger, sillier and sure, freakier, follow-up.
Freakier Friday hits theaters on Friday, 22 years after the primary film. This time, two adults and two teenagers are concerned within the body-swapping chaos. The principle solid contains the pop star supervisor and single mother Anna (Lohan), who’s 36 within the Freaky Friday-verse. There’s additionally Anna’s daughter Harper (Julia Butters) and Harper’s doting psychologist grandma, Tess (Curtis). Because of a meet-cute on the ladies’ faculty, the household unit is increasing to incorporate Anna’s chef fiancé, Eric (Manny Jacinto), and Eric’s daughter, Lily (Sophia Hammons).
Harper and Lily’s standing as mortal enemies complicates the soon-to-be blended household. There’s additionally the essential element of the place the familial unit will find yourself — the ladies are awaiting a call on whether or not they may transfer again to Eric and Lily’s London residence base or keep in Los Angeles. When inevitable fortune-teller meddling and body-swapping happens — Lily switches with Tess and mom Anna trades locations with daughter Harper — the teenagers understand they will use their new our bodies to interrupt up their mother and father.
I did not develop up with Freaky Friday, however I can perceive the attraction of the early 2000s movie. Lohan’s younger Anna is as cool because it will get, from her punk outfits to her storage band with mates. Her mother would not perceive her points in school and her ardour for music. Anna would not absolutely settle for the connection between her mother and soon-to-be stepdad. It takes body-switching for Anna and Tess to understand what they’d been lacking about one another.
After all, in Freakier Friday, Anna’s now-teen daughter would not see her as that easy rock star. Anna’s band, Pink Slip, achieved some fame, and Anna now works with a preferred musical artist — it takes Harper seeing that firsthand to register how distinctive her mother is. In Freakier Friday, being a teen is depicted in a cringier mild, from bed room door notices that say “no triggering” to gluten-free necessities at high-school bake gross sales.
I loved a few of the references to the primary film — and there are lots of. I significantly preferred the continuation of heartthrob Jake’s (Chad Michael Murray) obsession with one of many first movie’s stars and scenes just like the body-switch reveal that felt playfully exaggerated. The power from Lohan and Curtis makes revisiting a few of the identical jokes enjoyable. Nonetheless, the film packs in copious cameos — bringing again just about each supporting character from the primary film — a component I discovered form of tiring. There are little doubt references I missed upon first viewing.
The mother-daughter quest feels acquainted, however including one other teen to the combo implies that these two even have to determine one another. Lohan and Curtis appear to get extra display screen time as bickering, scheming teenagers, and I had a blast following them round LA. Make no mistake, it is Lohan and Curtis’ film — I admittedly at one level forgot who was who within the teen our bodies. Curtis would not shrink back from jokes at her expense; one scene the place she reluctantly grabs gadgets from the “senior provides” part of a retailer is especially memorable.
The movie’s wrap-up feels rushed and underwhelming. Nonetheless, the addition of the strained relationship between two teenagers refreshes the plot, and the message about understanding and empathy makes an influence. Lohan and Curtis steal the present, and it is a pleasure to see Lohan choose up the guitar 22 years later.
