Freaky Friday

Did the world really need a fourth Freaky Friday, following the delightful 1976 original, a 1995 TV-movie, and a solid 2003 remake? This new iteration of the body-switching comedy inspired by Mary Rodgers’s titular 1972 YA novel is squarely aimed at ‘tween (and younger) viewers of the cable Disney Channel, presented as a musical version that has all the hallmarks of the Disney TV brand, but is ultimately shriller and more generally unsatisfying than its predecessors. The story remains the same: rebellious teen Ellie (Cozi Zuehlsdorff) is struggling with the imminent wedding of her widower mom, Katherine (Heidi Blickenstaff). Some hocus-pocus causes them to switch bodies, forcing Ellie to go through a day of wedding planning as Katherine, and Katherine to attend high school as Ellie. Each comes to sympathize with the day-to-day pressures on the other. Some of the more delightful Disney TV trademarks pop up, particularly the occasional dark note (a flirtation in biology class over dissected frogs is especially perverse and fun). But while the chuckles nicely balance the sentimentality, and Disney once again deserves praise for its diversity in casting, this is the least of the filmed versions. Still, given the popularity of Disney Channel movies, this should also be considered a strong optional purchase. (T. Keogh)