Although Freaky Friday doesn't come to mind when I think of the best comedies of all time, I must admit that the 2003 film (which, incidentally, was the second remake of a 1976 film) is a solid coming-of-age story that takes a fairly familiar formula but takes it to an interesting place.
The key? A cast that combined two iconic actresses (Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis) with a plot deeply rooted in the early 2000s, creating a simple and entertaining story that simultaneously made us reflect on the connections we have with our parents and vice versa, embracing the fact that at one point they were young too, and that we will eventually grow old too.
Simplicity was key, and that's why I had many doubts from the moment a sequel was announced. Incidentally, it was originally intended as a Disney Plus exclusive, but considering the media hype surrounding its announcement, it ended up only getting a full theatrical release.
Thus, "Freakier Friday" was born, a sequel that not only brings back Lohan and Curtis in the roles of Anna Coleman and Tess, but also embraces the passage of time as a crucial aspect of its premise.
The point is that, beyond my insecurities about it, I swear I decided to give this film a chance, being as optimistic as possible. I recommend that, despite how forced it all seemed, the idea of revisiting these characters after so many years was interesting, and the "magical" nature of its predecessor could lend itself to a lot of play in a new context.
However, at least personally, I found it difficult to find anything of value in it, not only because it lacks the charisma and solid execution that characterized the first installment, but because all the "new" elements they decide to introduce fail to win our hearts, and the end result feels more like a low-quality fan fiction given a low budget to make into a film than a comedy with value and its own ideas.
While it's nice to have such a large portion of the original cast back, the writing makes everyone feel unrecognizable, almost as if it were a film that was originally intended as a sequel but never secured the rights to be one.
The plot doubles the stakes this time, adding two more young people to the body-swapping dynamic (Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons), two characters who have interesting ideas on paper, but whose execution ends up being extremely boring.
Again, I don't feel like the film is a complete disaster, and there are a couple of solid moments in it... However, I feel like it needed a lot of love and respect for the original film, instead of forcing a sequel that just wanted to take advantage of the growing love the 2003 film is receiving.
This score was taken from my Letterboxd account.
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