“Freakier Friday” A Charming and Hilarious Sequel To Family Favorite “Freaky Friday”

After many years of being rumored, the Disney follow-up to their 2003 remake “Freaky Friday” finally is here and it’s just as hilarious and moving as the popular 2003 movie.

In the sequel “Freakier Friday,” Tess and Anna discover that lightning may indeed strike twice as they navigate the myriad of challenges that come when two families merge.

The 2003 remake “Freaky Friday” was an enjoyable Disney family favorite, which I recently revisited for the paper a few weeks ago. And, honestly if you enjoyed the previous movie, there is a very great chance you will love this sequel!

I’ll admit when I first saw that Disney was developing a “Freaky Friday” sequel, I really thought that it was just going to be another cash grab sequel for the studio. Rest assured, “Freakier Friday” is a real fun continuation of the 2003 story and does a great job respecting the original storyline that’s still beloved by Disney fans years later!

This fun, heartwarming family comedy delivers some great silly fun that the entire family can easily enjoy and it can also get slightly emotional at times. “Freakier Friday” successfully captured the spirit of the remake and provides both nostalgic enjoyment for fans and a relatable family story for anyone who didn’t grow up with the remake.

It was great seeing Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan together again after all these years and their on-screen chemistry is just as amazing as it was in the 2003 movie. Their comedic timing in their scenes (together and separate) is on point, especially once they switch bodies with Anna’s daughter and soon-to-be step-daughter.

Some of the movie delivers some generational humor (since it involves teens and older adults), which I did expect. Yet, it is easily some of the funniest bits of this movie. One of the funniest moments in the movie happens as soon as the body swap occurs and the character Lily (step-daughter) is reacting to having swapped bodies with the older Tess.

And, just like the previous movie, “Freakier Friday” has quite a few moments that are

truly heartwarming and emotional. Both the 2003 movie and this movie touches upon the topic of grief as Lily is still grieving over her mother’s passing as Anna did for her father years ago.

This follow-up also explores the intergenerational push-and-pull between parents and children, and the emotional complexities of family dynamics. Another aspect of the movie that I really enjoyed  is that the sequel emphasizes maternal love and how difficult things could be between mother and daughter (just like Tess and Anna’s story before).

Overall, audiences and fans of the 2003 remake will surely enjoy this sequel! There are quite a few humorous moments, along with some fairly emotional ones. There are also several fun callbacks to the 2003 remake and it’s also awesome to see that several members of the 2003 cast return to the sequel to reprise their roles years later!

Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis (Tess); Lindsay Lohan (Anna); Julia Butters (Harper); Sophie Hammons (Lily); Mark Harmon (Ryan); Manny Jacinto (Eric); Maitreyi Ramainshrian (Ella); Christina Vidal (Maddie); Haley Hudson (Peg); Chad Michael Murray (Jake); Vanessa Bayer (Madame Jen).

Writer/director: Jordan Weiss (writer); Nisha Ganatra (director

Trivia: It was actually Jamie Lee Curtis who contacted the head of Disney with the idea to make a second movie. She persuaded Lohan to return to Disney as the two became close friends after the 2003 movie. This movie marks Lohan’s first theatrically released leading role (with a wide release) in eighteen years. Her last wide theatrical movie was the 2007 flop “I Know Who Killed Me.” The sequel also marks the first time in thirteen years that Mark Harmon has worked on something not related to the “NCIS” franchise.

MPA: Rated PG for thematic elements, rude humor, language and some suggestive references  (runtime 110 minutes)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyJzhtJEtoU

• It was Jamie Lee Curtis who contacted the head of Disney with the idea to make a second film. She persuaded Lindsay Lohan to return to Disney as the two became close friends after the 2003 film.

• Anna and Eric's wedding date is October 3rd, the iconic date from Mean Girls, which also featured Lindsay Lohan.

• Mark Harmon's first non-NCIS (2003) related work in 13 years.

• This film marks Lindsay Lohan's first theatrically released leading role (with a wide release) in 18 years. Her last such film was I Know Who Killed Me (2007).

• Jamie Lee Curtis (Tess), Lindsay Lohan (Anna), Chad Michael Murray (Jake), Mark Harmon (Ryan), Ryan Malgarini (Harry), Stephen Tobolowsky (Mr. Bates), Rosalind Chao (Pei-Pei), Lucille Soong (Pei-Pei's mom), Christina Vidal (Maddie) and Haley Hudson (Peg) are all reprising their roles from Freaky Friday (2003).