3 days ago
5
Despite not being the target audience for the original Freaky Friday at the time of its release, I have fond memories of watching the film on repeat. The relatable family dynamic, coupled with a pair of extremely believable performances from Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, carried home by an earth-shattering moment with an electric guitar that to this day remains unrivalled.
As enjoyable as I found the original, I can’t say I was eager for a follow-up. The sequel does what sequels do and raises the stakes. Instead of a simple two-person body swap, the story involves four people across three generations. Jamie Lee Curtis’ Tess switches with her soon-to-be step-granddaughter Lily (Sophia Hammons), while Lohan’s Anna swaps with her daughter Harper (Julia Butters).
So many characters, and so many storylines. Freakier Friday looks at the adage of less is more and stomps on it with impunity. There are several scenarios that the movie puts the characters into that will begin and end so fast that you’ll have whiplash as you follow one scene into the next.
Is it funny? Certainly. The novelty of the performances is a reliable well of hilarity, and the chaos of the film lends to the overall sense of madness one would experience when faced with such a situation. For every bit that doesn’t quite work, there will be another that does, and there’s a joviality that permeates the film. You get the sense that the cast are thrilled to be working together again, especially as the movie brings back all players both major and minor.
With so much happening, there are moments when Freakier Friday feels as if it has quite literally lost the plot. Stakes are introduced carelessly and dropped just as quickly, and I started to worry that the intended lesson in empathy – the heart of any body-swap story – would be overshadowed by a string of overworked slapstick gags.
By the end, the film sticks the landing. Its emotional component comes through, and I found myself more endeared to the characters than I expected. The film also plays well in the arena of mutligenerational parenting styles, as the elder Tess struggles to make sense of her daughter Anna’s quiet parenting. It’s far from perfect, but it’s a thrill ride for those with nostalgia for the original, and a comedy that’s got a strong sense of heart that would make for a great movie night for the family.
Rating: Half Price.
Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies.
English (US) ·