Freaky Friday 2: Encore dans la peau de ma mère

This was honestly a lot better than I expected it to be. I went in with very low expectations and wanted to see it just for a shout out to my childhood but it was honestly hilarious. I was laughing almost the whole movie. Jamie Lee Curtis is so funny and the return of Chad Michael Murray as Jake. Love it. Go see this movie if you are from my generation. Trust me it's hilarious.

LIKES: Cute Charming Nostalgic References Great Music Good Acting Deep At Times/Heartwarming Some Comedic Gold Summary: Like most Disney pieces, there is always some factor of cuteness in the film. Freakier Friday continues to add that family-friendly element (for ages above like eleven) that holds elements that we always loved in our Disney Channel originals. Fun little bouts of youthful deviousness mixed with family bonding are much of this film, jokes finding their way into that peppy energy I loved in my teens, but with just a touch of modern maturity to help it. It's a charming adventure for the coming-of-age genre, characters finding footholds to still get better despite the past, helping to illustrate that sometimes we need to learn lessons a few times to get it right. Such elements come with the same Disney presentation, that element of fun, awkward antics, getting us toward the lessons in that clumsy style that will be uncomfortable, but in many cases, fun as old and new once again debate over who is superior. Amid the "old" is the nostalgia factor that we love to capitalize on and dive back into. The references are plenty, many new twists or nods to the original that are fun, many turned to help advance the story, or put that right joke into the movie. Some of it is a little heavy-handed or stretched, but I had fun seeing it integrated into the story, especially those comedic gold moments that were so clever that my friend and I laughed out loud for several seconds. Finally, the movie still has the Disney finesse of pulling at your heartstrings, fantastically crafted moments that blend all the Hollywood magic into those memorable moments. Add in the music, a soundtrack that is vibing in so many styles that feel representative of the generations to further help Disney's live action movie feel fun, a few tracks having me tap my toes in glee as I bobbed to the beat.

Outside of these qualities, Freakier Friday thrives well on the speeches and dialogue, with solid delivery and background music to help enhance the moment, executed to a grand degree by the cast. I enjoyed all four of the performances, the talented women finding some depth to their performances and accomplishing two roles trapped in one body with some impressive acting ability. Sophia Hammons has poise, panache, and a bratty attitude that her accent sells with such finesse. When the swap occurs, she gets the mannerisms of her switched persona well, making not only the fashion look wonderful, but also the deeper moments at times. Butters was very enjoyable, a mashup of so many personalities that it was hard to choose which form I preferred; all have a good place in this film. But the champions are who you most likely want to hear about, and Lohan continues to redeem herself with roles that have tapped back into her roots, but excelled into mature means that are a nice blend of qualities. Lohan's execution of two personalities worked for me, and I love the dynamic range that she brings with this fun performance. It's Curtis who steals a lot of the show for me, the seasoned actress continuing to look good and own the moments, no matter how silly they are. I love the chemistry between them, the fun energy familiar in many ways, with some moments again a perfect mixture of talent and writing.

DISLIKES: Predictable Cheesy Too Silly Pacing Issues Some Story Elements That Needed More Some Aggressive Comedy Too Niche Feels Not The Same Caliber As The First Summary: Where the movie starts to fail for me comes in the modernization elements that most movies have taken in this age of viewing. As expected, this sequel does not escape the predictable formula this franchise takes, the path not exactly identical to the first film, but incredibly similar as they search for the answers to their predicament. Freakier Friday's fun helps to dilute some of the predictability, though it doesn't do much for the very cheesy and overly silly moments Disney writing brings with it in modern times. Jokes are very much in your face, with a lot of rough patches of over-aggressive one-liners, corny callouts, and exaggerated jokes that may cross into insulting territory depending on your sensitivity. Such aggressive comedy feels very influencer in tone, the attempts to cram so much simplistic silliness are a bit exhausting at times, with only some relief coming from those awesome comedic moments.

Other elements that suffered for me were the pacing issues, the film having a bit uneven pace as it went from highs to lows so abruptly that the plot felt disconnected compared to the golden age of live-action storytelling. The story elements are there, providing enough of a bridge, but they felt so unequal in quality, with many characters wasted and lacking the involvement the first one did so well. Key obstacles felt truncated, qualities missing those full-impactful moments, not quite there with many characters' fun cameos for a quick blast to the past, but needing something more to be worth the inclusion than just a fun joke. Too many characters? Too much trying to be integrated? Too focused on the new? I'm not sure, but the story just needs some more polishing and advancements to obtain the same caliber as the first, instead of following into this niche that my friend and I feel this movie is targeted at pleasing.

The VERDICT: Freakier Friday is one of the better modernizations of a sequel I have seen in a while. There is respect for the old story, but also plenty of new things to help it be its own film, which should be pleasing to the audience. It's a fun movie, some of that Disney magic coming out in full force to make a charming and enchanting film for most families. Great performances help bring the characters to the forefront, nailing double performance expectations, selling some comedic gold moments, and helping pump the theater up with energy that I like my Disney films to have. Other elements help the film flourish in the form of fun lines and good music, giving us that 2000s feeling at times that I loved diving back into after all these years. Sadly, the movie's modern influences are a little more prevalent than I would like, primarily in the story and over-aggressive comedy that has been popular since the mid-2010s. They can be funny at times, some of the clever moments helping cut through the thicket of jokes that are in your face and focused on demographic topics, primarily ageist jokes. While the awkward moments can be funny, the movie concentrates on the jokes a bit too much, not handling the story progression as well as the first. Cute as it may be, alongside some key scene moments, the uneven pacing and quality are what sort of cut this film's quality down a few pegs. It's not bad, that's not what I'm saying. I just think that it's a much more niche film than the first, matching a caliber that feels like a high-quality Disney+ Channel original movie rather than a full blockbuster feature. Is it worth a trip to the theater? For the target audience of moms with daughters this age, or a group of moms looking for a nostalgia trip, this is your movie to have fun with. For the rest, wait for the inevitable release on streaming to maximize your time. My scores for Freakier Friday are: Comedy/Family/Fantasy: 7.0-7.5 Movie Overall: 6.5.

Freakier Friday is the sequel to Freaky Friday from 2003. This follow-up is directed by Nisha Ganatra, known for Late Night and Transparent.

Twenty-two years after Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna (Lindsay Lohan) experienced a body swap, a lot has changed. Anna is now a mother herself to daughter Harper (Julia Butters) and soon-to-be stepmother to stepdaughter Lily (Sophia Hammons). She is trying to take on the challenge of keeping a blended family running smoothly.

After a special incident, they find themselves swapping bodies again - but this time, the daughter and stepdaughter are also involved. Until they manage to switch back, the four must try to function in each other's lives. That's quite a challenge, as a lot has changed in 22 years, and there is still much to learn.

This sequel, set 22 years later, essentially copies the story of the first film but makes it bigger by adding extra characters. This not only makes it more extensive but also somewhat more complicated, as this time you follow four characters who have swapped bodies. That can make it tricky to keep track of what each of them is doing.

Despite the repetition, the film plays nicely into modern-day topics, in which different age groups can recognize themselves, and it shows how varied the worldview can be between generations. This leads to several comedic moments. The film also appeals to fans of the original, who have grown older themselves and may now face relatable life situations or changes, just like the characters.

Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons convincingly portray older people trapped in younger bodies, delivering believable performances. For Jamie Lee Curtis, even though it's yet another body swap - this time from granddaughter to grandmother - she still manages to create comedic moments and do remarkable things for someone her age. It's also a treat to see Lindsay Lohan return to her role. Compared to when she starred in the first film, she has faced many dark moments in her life, but she has now been sober for several years and is living a healthy lifestyle again.

I honestly wasn't expecting to like Freakier Friday as much as I did - but wow, it totally surpassed my expectations. This feels like every millennial's dream sequel, and I'm not ashamed to say it genuinely got a tear out of me.

It's so self-aware and funny, with just the right amount of nostalgia mixed with a fresh, modern twist. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan slip back into Tess and Anna like no time has passed - their chemistry is electric, heart-warming, and hilarious all at once.

The new generational spin brings so much life to the story, adding fresh laughs and surprisingly touching moments - especially around the mother-daughter relationships that so many of us will find relatable.

This was the perfect sequel. You can tell every actor gave it their all but also had so much fun in the process. Disney, you actually did it - and it's nostalgia done right.

There are actually three iterations of "Freaky Friday," including the 1976 one with Jodie Foster, the one with Shelley Long in 1995, and the one with Jamie Lee and Lindsay from 2003. This is the only one with a sequel, and for the most part, it's a fun ride.

For Jamie Lee, she might have longed for a chance to do something fun besides the endless "Halloween" rehashes, and for Lindsay, it's just nice to see her in a major movie again after Jamie Lee coaxed her into it (according to the trivia entries) and they are both part of the producer team.

This movie demands your full attention and almost completely requires the viewer to have seen the first one because there are so many nods to it. Without giving too much away, this time there are four, count 'em, four people involved in the body swap, and sometimes it did get confusing to follow who is in whose body.

Maybe the best thing is that it has captured the spirit of the best live-action Disney comedies going back decades because of the mix of silly fun and sentimentality. It also has relatable bits for today's teens, millennials, Gen X-ers, and of course boomers. Even young children will enjoy the spectacle of a food fight in an earlier scene and older people acting silly in later scenes, such as by careening around in a classic Chevy Camaro.

The men involved make the most of their roles, too as with Manny Jacinto, Annabelle's new love interest, Chad Michael Murray reappearing as Jake from the first one (and STILL uncannily attracted to Jamie Lee's Tess), and of course handsome Mark Harmon radiates California cool halfway into his seventh decade.

It all comes to a very satisfying close in a musical way which, the less said about it the better. It's very joyful and ties up all the loose ends nicely, kind of a payoff for the earlier jokes that don't land as well, some earlier scenes that seem tacked on and the earlier-mentioned challenge of keeping up with who's who.