WARNING: Due to a ‘freaky’ accident (get it? :-P) we lost the pictures we had digitized from our "Freaky Friday" review copy. So we’ve replaced the missing "Freaky Friday" shots for this review with shots from a third season TV episode of Nickelodeon’s "The Secret World of Alex Mack" called ‘The Switch.’ As with "Freaky Friday" (and a million other cartoon shows, movies and sitcoms before it) this particular episode of "Alex Mack" deals with a mother (Dorian Lopinto’s Barbara Mack) switching bodies/personalities with her teenage daughter (Larisa Oleynik’s Alexandra Louise Mack) due to unforeseen circumstances. We hope you enjoy our review of "Freaky Friday" regardless of what pictures we show alongside the review. Hey, it could have been worse; I could have shown pictures of Fred Savage in "Vice Versa" instead (NOOOOOO!)
Five years after Lindsay Lohan’s star-making double-performance as separated twins Hallie Parker and Annie James in Nancy Myers’ 1998 remake of "The Parent Trap" the young actress is once again starring in a live action remake of a classic Disney flick. Based on the 1977 movie of the same name that starred a then-young Jodie Foster, the new "Freaky Friday" co-stars former "Halloween" scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis as career-obsessed mother of two Tess Coleman. Like just about every mother-daughter I’ve ever known Tess and her teenage daughter Annabell (Lohan) are constantly at each other’s throats. Then one magical day, without reason or a logical explanation, Tess and Annabell switch into each other’s bodies and lives. The usual hijinks and child-pleasing adventures ensue: Tess (as Annabell) struggles to get through an average day in school without making an ass of herself, and Annabell (as Tess) learns the hard way the hardships her mother must go through every day to put bread on the table.
It’s a classic ’fish out of water’ plot device that has fueled thousands of movies, animated shows and episodes of TV programs (like the aforementioned ‘The Switch’ episode of "Alex Mack" we’re pillaging for visual aids). Somehow director Mark S. Waters and screenwriter Heather Hach (working from Mary Rodgers’ novel) manage to inject freshness and a little bit of heart into the predictable core that is "Freaky Friday’s" family friendly structure. It helps tremendously that Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are game throughout the film’s 97 min. running time, effectively selling the illusion through sheer physical movement that they are inhabiting bodies that they aren’t used to controlling.
A much better live action movie than Disney’s over-hyped "Lizzie McGuire Movie," "Freaky Friday" proves audiences can still warm-up to an old family friendly formula when it’s done right. Strong performances and absurd situations anyone that has been around dysfunctional families can relate to (i.e. just about everybody alive that I’ve ever known) go a long way to selling "Freaky Friday" to DVD consumers that tend to shy away from anything childish or Disney related.
The Disc:
As with "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" DVD from last year, the remake of "Freaky Friday" comes to DVD in clean and colorful Widescreen (1:85:1) and Full Screen (1:33:1) Video Transfers that meet Disney’s typical high quality standards. Few visual blemishes, colorful cinematography, a neat menu/option interface and a razor-sharp picture make "Freaky Friday" a delight to watch. The English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Track is neither terribly aggressive or dreadfully passive, but always presents a clean and center-rific mix of sound, audible dialogue and Hollywood-caliber audio effects.
English Closed Captioning is also included, along with a handful of second-tier bonus features that mirror those in the aforementioned "Lizzie McGuire Movie" DVD. A Deleted Scene and Alternate Endings (with optional commentary by director Mark S. Waters) are the highlights. After that there’s a Blooper Reel, Two Music Videos and a self-promotional ’Backstage Pass with Lindsay Lohan’ Featurette. Not much, but at least what’s here doesn’t descend into the pits of self-promotional hell that soured most of the bonus material in "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" DVD.
bottom line:
Physical comedy and the most worn out of premises (i.e. body switching) are given a new lease on life by terrific performances and a screenplay that pauses long enough to let some heart shine between the laughs. This live action kid’s flick runs circles around "The Lizzie McGuire Movie," and makes a perfect double bill with Disney’s own 1998 remake of "The Parent Trap." Both feature charming performances by young Lindsay Lohan in movie roles tailor-made for her (and co-star Jamie Lee Curtis’) wide-eye facial expressions. Worth the money if found cheap, or a free rental if you’ve got an evening to spend along with those freaky people called relatives that you share a home with.
By - J.M. Vargas
