Plot: What’s it about?
It’s odd of me to say this, but I’ve never seen the original Freaky Friday starring a then unknown Jodie Foster. It came out in 1976, the same year as Taxi Driver. How’s that for a night and day difference in films? Flash forward nearly three decades and we then had Jamie Lee Curtis and a then unknown Lindsay Lohan in the titular roles. I never saw it, but I remember it being around and also knew that Lohan, along with her work in The Parent Trap, was a Disney darling and set for great things. She was…for a while. The next year Mean Girls was released and it was the Lindsay Lohan show. She had some ups and downs handling fame, did a Playboy shoot (which I applaud her for) and has been treading water for some time. About the only spin that was put on this franchise was 2021’s Freaky, with Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton which took this theme and put a horror movie spin on it. Now, here we are, with a sequel that no one really expected. Or maybe they did, I honestly have no idea. At any rate, let’s get started.
The movie assumes you’ve seen the original, then again I suppose every sequel assumes this. But we pick up two decades after Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna (Lindsay Lohan) had first experienced their life-altering body swap. Anna, now a successful music manager, is raising her teenage daughter – Harper (Julia Butters) and Tess is now a podcaster, despite her issues with technology. Things get a bit complicated when Anna falls for Eric Davies (Manny Jacinto), a British chef with a daughter of his own – Lily (Sophia Hammons). She’s the polar opposite of Harper. When Anna and Eric decide to tie the knot and plan to move the family to London, tensions with the teens reaches an apex. We then meet Jen (Vanessa Bayer), a psychic who predicts that what the family needs is a change of heart/change of body. The next morning we see not one, but two body swaps in which Anna and Harper change places while Tess is trapped in Lily’s teenage body.
Freakier Friday essentially takes the same formula that worked in the first and adds another layer to it. And why not? It’s a tried and true tradition in Hollywood and, well, it seemed to work. There’s a lighthearted aura at work. This movie isn’t trying to solve the world’s problems or maybe you reconsider that existential crisis you think you might be having, rather it’s just 111 minutes of fun. In essence, the film manages to pay homage to the original, but this one seems to feel refreshingly real at the same time. There are also some more generational themes at play here which gives the film an added layer of depth. Also it’s nice to see Lohan in films again and Curtis now has the moniker of “Academy Award Winning…” in front of her name. This one won’t change your life, but it’ll make you smile while watching it and isn’t that the point?
Video: How’s it look?
Let’s not forget that, first and foremost, this is a Disney movie. I don’t care what year it is, when you’ve got that moniker looming over your head it’ll be colorful. It’s a rule. Well, maybe not, but it should be. I mean just by looking at the cover art alone we know what to expect. The 2.39:1 AVC HD encode gives us exactly what we’d expect with warm, natural lighting, colors so rich and full they seem almost fake and detail that might have played better in the 2003 version as opposed to this one (people do age). All of my sarcasm aside, I can say that this delivers what we’d hoped and expected it would – a flawless transfer.
Audio: How’s it sound?
No need for a Dolby Atmos track here, folks. Well, it’s a Blu-ray from Disney, so that’s not an option anyhow. But for a light-hearted “teen” comedy, there’s really no need for an Atmos mix. The included DTS HD Master Audio track more than delivers the goods with exceptional audio and even a few songs to boot. Who knew? There’s a nice, rich aura surrounding the film and it makes for a fine listening experience.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Deleted Scenes – Check out the scenes that didn’t make the final cut.
- Trevor’s New Song
- Extended Dance Lesson
- Anna Cancels Wedding
- Pickleball Team Announcements
- Beta Girl Backs Up Lily
- Intensity Of The V’s
- Blake Doesn’t Like What She Hears
- Malibu
- Eric Reads Tess’s Books
- School Pickup
- Featurettes – Three not so enlightening segments that give us some history of the project.
- Making Things Freakier – More than two decades later, the band is back together! Go behind the scenes as returning cast members talk about reprising their roles. Learn about the stunts, taking on each other’s mannerisms – and how this film is a love letter to Los Angeles.
- Where Were You When… – Join the original cast as they reflect on the fun and magic of the 2003 production and learn where new cast members were in 2003. Writer Jordan Weiss shares a great anecdote that reveals the fandom and staying power of the earlier classic.
- Flashback Friday – This playful, narrated piece reveals the hidden nods to 2003’s Freaky Friday along with some “freakier” fun facts about the sequel.
- “Baby” Lyric Music Video – Catch this heartfelt lyric video that combines clips from the movie with behind-the-scenes production footage.
The Bottom Line
As Ned Flanders would say “Well color me tickled pink!” Freakier Friday isn’t half as bad as I thought it’d be. Curtis was already a seasoned actor when the original came along, and let’s say that Lohan has…learned a few things in the two decades since its release. Disney’s disc looks and sounds good with just the right assortment of extras to warrant a purchase.
