Hollywood has become obsessed with remakes, reboots, and reimaginings. So it was only a matter of time before it resurrected the early 2000s box office darling, Freaky Friday, and gave it a sequel. The 2003 movie was already a remake. The original from 1976 starred Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris. Twenty-seven years later Disney decided to give it a revamp with a snappy script and the perfect casting of Jamie Lee Curtis as an uptight mother and Lindsay Lohan as her guitar-shredding, angsty teenage daughter. This shiny new version was a success on all counts and became an instant family-friendly classic. 

 

Twenty-two years after the ear-worm “Ultimate” became stuck in our heads on an endless loop, Disney decided to add another chapter to the story of Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna (Lindsay Lohan). This time, it’s double the body switches. Anna has her own daughter, Harper (Julia Butters). And trouble begins when Anna falls in love with Eric (Manny Jacinto) who has a daughter, Lily (Sophia Hammons). Lily and Harper are in the same class in high school and don’t mesh well. So when Anna and Eric announce their engagement, things get dicey. At Anna’s bachelorette party, a palm reading psychic, Madame Jen (Vanessa Bayer), relays a cryptic message to the teens. That night the young girls swap bodies with Anna and Tess which provides plenty of laughs and awkward situations to fuel the one-hour and fifty-minute runtime. 

 

Freakier Friday works because it keeps the heart of Freaky Friday (2003) at its core. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan have undeniable chemistry and reprise their roles without much difficulty. The new additions of Butters and Hammons prove themselves up to the task. They slot in nicely with the old pros and have the comedic chops to make things entertaining. The plot itself gets a bit messy. The reasons as to why Lily and Harper don’t like each other are murky at best. Harper and Anna don’t butt heads half as much as Tess and Anna did in the original movie. But there are enough heartwarming moments to smooth over those minor plot holes. And nostalgia is in full force with musical performances, plenty of familiar faces from 2003, and the reunion of the Coleman family on screen. Freakier Friday doesn’t fully live up to its beloved predecessor, but it’s still a hefty dose of nostalgic fun.