Movies

Freakier Friday
The body swap just got an upgrade. Or four.

Jamie Lee Curtis is the undisputed queen of the lega-sequel — that sweet spot where beloved stars return to iconic roles decades later, usually with a fresh-faced cast in tow. She’s slayed it in the Halloween franchise (twice!), and now she’s back in a very different kind of legacy reboot: a wild, multi-generational take on Freaky Friday.

Twenty years after Tess (Curtis) and her rebellious daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan) first swapped bodies, things are about to get even weirder. This time, everyone’s swapping:

• Anna switches with her daughter Harper (Julia Butters),
• Tess swaps bodies with Harper’s soon-to-be stepsister Lily (Sophia Hammons),
• And somehow, Anna is engaged to Lily’s dad, Eric (Manny Jacinto).

Keeping up? Neither are they. With four characters jumping into new bodies, Freakier Friday turns family drama into full-blown identity chaos.

Lohan is riding a comeback wave, with rom-com hits like Irish Wish and Our Little Secret, plus a fun cameo in the new Mean Girls. But this is her biggest return to the spotlight yet — and she’s not the only familiar face. Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Rosalind Chao, Lucille Soong, and Stephen Tobolowsky all return to join the generational madness.

For millennials who grew up with the 2003 classic, this sequel scratches the nostalgia itch — but it’s also a fresh spin for a whole new audience.

Superman
Kindness is the new punk rock.

“You think everything and everyone is beautiful.” “Maybe that’s the real punk rock.”

Welcome to the new DC Universe (DCU). Directed by James Gunn, the co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios, Superman is the first instalment of DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, marking the relaunch of the DC cinematic universe.

Gone are the DCEU’s (DC Extended Universe) dark, moody movies filled with equally dark, moody characters. Superman brings back breezy fun: we’re talking kooky characters, visual imagination, hard-earned optimism, and tongue-in-cheek humour.

Our new Clark Kent/Superman, as portrayed by David Corenswet, is as blue-eyed and square-jawed as the previous big-screen iteration, played by Henry Cavill. But everything else has changed. This Superman feels brighter and bolder than 2013’s Man of Steel, a broody and messy movie about the titular character. From the get-go, Gunn emphasises the character’s kindness, optimism, moral centre, and vulnerability. Even when Clark intervenes in international conflicts manipulated by the megalomaniacal Lex Luthor (an equally blue-eyed and square-jawed Nicholas Hoult), he’s careful not to rack up collateral damage. Heck, this Superman is so compassionate, he even stops to save a squirrel.

But when Luthor engineers a plan to tarnish his reputation, Superman finds himself in uncharted waters and must win back public trust while staying true to his ideals. Along the way, he grapples with his dual identity, Kryptonian heritage, and his devotion to humanity. And thankfully, he has his smart and feisty girlfriend, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), backing him up.

The dazzling fights and big battles — which also feature heroes like Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), and Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) — are still there. But this Superman soars not just on its action, but also its heart. Its real superpower? Its radical sense of hopefulness — the movie might just make you believe in people (and superhero movies) again.

Before catching this, watch the original Superman on KrisWorld.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Marvel’s First Family is finally getting the blockbuster treatment it deserves.

They’re the team that started it all: Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm — better known collectively as the Fantastic Four. First introduced in 1961, Marvel’s ‘First Family’ helped shape the comic book universe as we know it. But let’s be honest: despite some iconic performances (we’re looking at Chris Evans as Johnny Storm), their big-screen outings have never quite stretched to their full potential.

That’s all about to change.

Fantastic Four: First Steps marks the team’s official entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and it’s shaping up to be a game-changer. Pedro Pascal (Reed/Mr Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue/Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny/Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben/The Thing) lead the cast as a brilliant crew of space explorers who return from a cosmic mission … a little more super than when they left.

But with great power comes a colossal problem: the arrival of the mysterious Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), who’s the cosmic herald of Galactus, an ancient force that literally eats planets for breakfast. No pressure, team!

Set in a retro-futuristic 1960s that’s as stylish as it is strange, First Steps kicks off Phase Six of the MCU with a dimensional bang. The Fantastic Four will journey from their world to Earth-616 — our mainline Marvel reality — where they’re set to join forces with the new Avengers in Avengers: Doomsday. And yes, whispers are swirling that Robert Downey Jr. will return as a variant of Iron Man — this time as none other than Doctor Doom — in this movie. [Spoiler Alert! You might want to stay on after the credits roll.]

Longtime fans have waited decades for the Fantastic Four to finally get the love (and CGI budget) they deserve. With a powerhouse cast, multiversal stakes, and one voracious villain in the wings, First Steps might just be the leap that launches Marvel’s First Family into the cinematic big leagues.

Navigate to Disney to check out MCU movies on KrisWorld.