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For many millennials and Gen Z\u00a0cinephiles, Mark Waters\u2019\u00a0<\/span>Freaky Friday<\/i> is a\u00a0cornerstone of early 2000<\/span>s cinema. The third adaptation of Mary Rodgers\u2019 1972<\/span> novel of the same name, this Y2<\/span>K<\/span> outing starring Disney icon Lindsay Lohan and scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis uses its central body-swap premise as a\u00a0means to explore generational misunderstandings and the tunnel vision that comes from being stuck in your own perspective. The film resonated with both mothers and daughters thanks to its unexpectedly nuanced portrayal of the trials and tribulations faced by both parties, surprising empathy and canny comedy. Add to this the film\u2019s respectable box office success, it\u2019s somewhat surprising that it took 22<\/span>\u00a0years for a\u00a0sequel to materialize.<\/span><\/p>\n Freakier Friday\u00a0<\/i>finds Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna (Lindsay Lohan) decades down the line from where we left them. For Tess, not much has changed, but Anna is on the other side of the fence, now a\u00a0mother herself dealing with a\u00a0rebellious teenage daughter. Avid surfer Harper (Julia Butters) adores her laid-back Californian lifestyle \u2013 in fact the only disruption to Harper\u2019s otherwise content world is her new lab partner Lily (Sophia Hammons), a\u00a0recent transplant from London alongside her chef father Eric (Manny Jacinto). From fashion choices to personality, the two girls couldn\u2019t be more different, instantly finding the other completely insufferable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After an incident at school involving their daughters forces Anna and Eric to cross paths, the single parents fall in love. A\u00a0speedy six months later, it\u2019s just days before their wedding, and the teens\u2019 worst nightmare is about to come true, as they prepare to become stepsisters. That is, until a\u00a0kooky psychic (Vanessa Bayer) at Anna\u2019s bachelorette party triggers a\u00a0body swap (not again!). But this time, it\u2019s not just Anna and Harper who trade places, but also Tess and Lily. Now stuck in the bodies of the adults, the teens team up and hatch a\u00a0devious plan to derail the wedding before their lives are permanently entwined.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s cut to the chase, is this sequel nostalgia bait? To some degree, absolutely. But does that mean it lacks distinctive qualities? \u2026Okay, at times it does, largely because any attempts to recreate the magic of the original often fall short. Nothing quite compares to that rugged noughties flair, but that doesn\u2019t mean that this sequel is entirely deprived of standout moments, many of which stem from genuinely well-timed comedy, while others emerge from earnest reflections on the layered dynamics and motivations within modern families.<\/span><\/p>\n Unsurprisingly, it\u2019s once again Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis who run the show, delivering teen-infused performances that almost make you forget body-swapping isn\u2019t a\u00a0real phenomenon (as far as we know). Their individual scenes, and especially their moments together, are completely compelling. In contrast, the subplot involving Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons playing Tess and Anna falls noticeably flat, hindering the pace and lacking the emotional depth or charm needed to hold up against their seasoned co-stars.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Then for a\u00a0film that references England and London so frequently, it seems almost allergic to authenticity. The question most obvious after the film isn\u2019t about the science of swapping bodies \u2013 it\u2019s \u200b\u2018<\/span>Why do we keep letting Americans do British accents if they\u2019re bad at it?\u2019 Manny Jacinto is a\u00a0capable and charming romantic lead \u2013 he\u2019s proven so several times over \u2013 but both his and Hammons\u2019 accents are distractingly artificial and, as we say here in the UK<\/span>, rather dire.<\/span><\/p>\n Like a\u00a0lightly rebellious Disney protagonist,\u00a0<\/span>Freakier Friday<\/i> is nowhere near perfect, but gives it a\u00a0good shot. It\u2019s certainly more clich\u00e9 than its predecessor and lacks some of the original\u2019s polish and edge, but it\u2019s undeniably entertaining for the most part, and sometimes \u2013 just sometimes! \u2013 that\u2019s all a\u00a0film needs to be. For fans of the original, it may not fully recapture lightning in a\u00a0bottle, but\u00a0<\/span>Freakier Friday\u00a0<\/i>offers enough humor, nostalgia, and stellar performances from its returning leads to make it a\u00a0worthwhile watch, especially if it introduces a\u00a0new generation to the\u00a0<\/span>Freaky Friday\u00a0<\/i>formula.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nGet more Little White\u00a0Lies<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n