I probably should have timed the release a little better to coincide with the recent Disney+ sequel movie (which we don’t even get around to talking about), but my son Joseph and I tackle the 2003 Lindsay Lohan/Jamie Lee Curtis remake of Freaky Friday in our latest Film at 11 podcast episode. Ostensibly, we use the excuse of a back-to-school theme, but the movie barely has much going on in its school scenes and we don’t talk much about that either. Instead, as you’ll see, we get a little silly with this one. We had fun. I hope you enjoy it.
The movie itself is fine, in much the same way Lohan’s Parent Trap remake was. It’s reasonably funny and has a couple good emotional beats, but it also treads a lot of familiar ground from numerous body-swapping comedies before it (not just the original Freaky Friday, either). It’s an enjoyable movie to watch with kids, but as an adult, I don’t feel I missed out on much by waiting this long to finally sit through it.
| Title: | Freaky Friday |
| Year of Release: | 2003 |
| Director: | Mark Waters |
| Watched On: | Disney+ |
| Also Available On: | Blu-ray Various VOD rental and purchase platforms |
Video Streaming
As far as I can tell, the 2003 Freaky Friday remake wasn’t released on Blu-ray until 2018, concurrently with the 1976 original. I don’t own any copy on physical media, so I streamed the movie from Disney+. I assume the streaming version comes from the same underlying source as the Blu-ray. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look very good. Much like Jamie Lee Curtis’ mom character, this movie could really use a makeover.
Although technically high-definition, the video master was undoubtedly created for the DVD release in 2003. The 1.85:1 image is quite soft and noisy, with obvious signs of edge enhancement. Colors look okay, I suppose. That’s as much enthusiasm as I can muster for it.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is a rather typical, bland comedy mix that never attempts anything too creative. However, fidelity is adequate, and the rock music Lindsay Lohan’s character plays in her garage band has some decent bass. The movie also throws in a couple of earthquakes that boom nicely.
Related
- Lindsay Lohan
- Jamie Lee Curtis
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