 "Freakier Friday movie review: Jamie Lee Curtis & Lindsay Lohan's fantasy comedy is fun but tepid compared to its prequel")
Star cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Rosalind Chao, Ryan Malgarini, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Vanessa Bayer, Haley Hudson, Stephen Tobolowsky, Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, Lucille Soong
Director: Nisha Ganatra
Back in 2003, when Freaky Friday was released, the fantasy comedy, based on the novel of the same name, not only became a blockbuster and instant classic but also garnered a fan following and love from global audiences.
And that’s when the sequel was announced. Just like other cinephiles, I was excited but had a lot of expectations. With Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis returning as Anna and Tess Coleman, the sequel is arriving with the addition of other talented cast members. So, let’s find out whether it lives up to the sky-high expectations or not…
The second part begins years after where the first part concluded. While Anna is now a single parent to a high school daughter named Harper (Julia Butters), Tess is a therapist and podcaster giving knowledge about parenting.
Harper doesn’t like a new girl in her class, who is from London, named Lily Davies (Sophia Hammons). As they always try to put each other down, during a culinary class, the duo engage in a food fight, which turns out to be a messy affair, and their parents are called by the principal.
At the school, Anna accidentally bumps into Lily’s father, Eric Davies (Manny Jacinto), and they both instantly fall head over heels for each other. As the duo plans to take a big step, they plan all the pre-wedding functions with enthusiasm and energy. However, Harper and Lily are not happy with this as they don’t want to be step-sisters or stay together.
During Anna’s bachelor party, Lily and Harper devise some strategies to break up the upcoming wedding. At the party, first Anna and Tess, and later Harper and Lily, meet Madame Jen (Vanessa Bayer), a fortune teller, who unknowingly switches the bodies of these ladies with each other with an experimental psychic process.
Now, Anna and Tess’ bodies are exchanged with Harper and Lily. The wedding is scheduled in three days, and the movie takes you on a rollercoaster ride of how these four ladies try to pretend to be their bodies, which creates hilarious and fun situations.
Freakier Friday is undoubtedly fun and entertaining, but it unfortunately misses the depth and soul like its prequel, especially in the second half. While Nisha Ganatra’s direction is good with witty one-liners, it somehow fails to recreate the magic of Freaky Friday.
Talking about the performances, Jamie Lee Curtis is top-notch, with Lindsay perfectly reprising her portrayal. Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons play their role to the T, with Manny Jacinto delivering a nuanced act. Vanessa Bayer’s brief role is definitely one of the biggest highlights of this movie.
On the whole, Freakier Friday is entertaining but not up to the mark when its comparison with its prequel.
Rating: 2.5 (out of 5 stars)
Freakier Friday is playing in cinemas
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