Freakier Friday

Freakier Friday was, I hate to say it, a slight let down!

The original worked so well and had fun comedy and a good emotional element, but this instalment just didn't seem remotely fresh. Instead, it just seems to hash over the same story beats as the first film, but this time with an additional body swap scenario that added nothing of real value and just made the whole thing feel a bit messy.

In fact, this is my main gripe with the film. Having Jamie Lee Curtis' Tess swap bodies with Sophia Hammons' Lily just seems utterly pointless. It was shoehorned in so that Jamie Lee Curtis could be let loose, but it served no real emotional value. It was also very annoying that the two characters didn't act like they were in the other's body! After the swap, they just felt like two completely different characters. At least with Lindsey Lohan and Julia Butters, they actually felt like they were playing the other character.

Aside from this major gripe, the plot also just felt a bit repetitive of the first film just with more people. It also was hard to root for the main characters as they are trying to split up a loving relationship, and considering the end was so obvious what was going to happen it makes the journey there a little tiresome at times.

Ultimately though I know this film shouldn't be taken so seriously. It's tongue in cheek and it does have lots of good comedy, and the emotional moments are strong when they focus on Lindsey Lohan's Anna and her daughter. The performances are all pretty good, and I think Manny Jacinto as Anna's fiance is a great addition.

Despite being a let down compared to the original one, it is still funny enough and is worth a watch for fans of the first film.

Freakier Friday (2025) is the sequel to Freaky Friday (2003), a movie that is really insane and entertaining to watch. Now to be fair, I was a little worried if the filmmakers were going to be able to make a good sequel to that movie because Disney has had a rough couple of years, but I'm happy to say that this movie was good.

Positives for Freakier Friday (2025): Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis kill it in this movie and they recapture the magic and charm of their performances from the 2003 movie while also being in different places in life. It feels like they never left these roles and they set down into these characters like the 2003 movie came out last year. I did like some of the new characters particularly Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons as the two stepdaughters of Lindsay Lohan's character. You do get some nice callbacks of the 2003 movies and they didn't feel like cheap fan service. The plot of the movie is different enough from the original to help it stand out instead of feeling like a cheap copy of what happened 22 years ago with the characters. And finally, the insanity of the premise is still intact with everything that happens in this movie and that make me very happy.

Mixed for Freakier Friday (2025): There is still a nature to the story not making any logical sense as to what is going on, but I don't care because I was having fun with it.

Negatives for Freakier Friday (2025): The movie does feel it is overstuffed with subplots and characters who feel like they shouldn't even be here and they did drag the movie a a lot for me. Honestly, I did forget some of the subplots as they felt so random and pointless that if you took them out of the story, you would still have the same movie. And finally, there is one scene that literally exists for product placement and it was so hilariously dumb that this scene actually made it into the final product.

Overall, Freakier Friday (2025) is a good continuation of the 2003 movie and it was fun to see these characters getting back to the insanity of the story from 22 years ago and I am happy to say that.

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.

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.

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.