Film Review: 17 AGAIN (2009)

2009-10-15 03:59:57

"17 Again" Movie Review. 6.5/10.
By Todd Murphy. ALL ABOUT MOVIES.NET.
Directed by Burr Steers
Starring Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Thomas Lennon, Leslie Mann

BOTTOM LINE:
Zac Efron does an incredible job carrying this high concept film of a man who gets the chance to re-do his life over again, but he is let down by some stupid sequences and by-the-numbers direction that ultimately rob his effective and likeable presence of all that it deserves.

THE GOOD:
“17 Again” is hardly original but is imminently watchable thanks to the dynamic presence of Zac Efron who not only single-handedly carries the film, but demonstrates he can act as well. Frustrated middle-aged man Mike O’Donnell (Matthew Perry) finds himself heading towards a divorce with his wife Scarlet (Leslie Mann) and his career is going nowhere. Having given up the opportunity to play big league Basketball when he was 17 after he knocked up Scarlet, Mike finds himself regretting that decision and finds himself wanting to go back and do it all over again. A chance encounter at his old high school with a bizarre janitor who asks him if Mike really wants to do his life over again leads him in to a space warp which sees him emerge from the other side as his 17 year old self (enter Zac Efron). The premise is a lot of fun, and leads to a number of good sequences led with comprehensive charisma by Efron. After convincing his rich friend Ned (Thomas Lennon) that he has de-aged, leading to some humorous posturing about spirit-guides and destinies by the pair, Mike decides to make things right for his family by getting involved with their lives without them knowing it through the school. Sequences such as when Mike gets back at the school bully, encourages his son to chase after the girl he likes, or his interactions with his friend Ned are quite funny. A large part of why this all works is thanks to Zac Efron who manages to hold the screen with good presence and acting skill (perhaps surprisingly so). Matthew Perry looks good as the washed up older Mike. The film does not spend time explaining the space warp Mike disappears in to (its barely covered), which is a good thing, because the janitor and his lack of explanation make the whole thing more mysterious and interesting, while focusing more on the characters and the situation presented. “17 Again” is a fun movie, even though it is a rehash of earlier films like “Big”.

THE BAD:
Aside from not being particularly original, and having some good scenes, “17 Again” suffers from some stupid, cringeworthy sequences that take the gloss off an otherwise good product. The subplot involving Ned’s pursuit of the high school principal is clumsily handled, including the geek Lord Of The Rings interests that they share. Some of the scenes with Efron talking like an adult in school (ie advising kids not to have sex etc) are somewhat arbitrary and do not come off all that well. The ridiculousness of the elder Scarlett accepting the younger Mike comes out loud and clear, with the exception of the finale when he re-emerges as Matthew Perry. The overall execution seems somewhat by-the-numbers as well, with only Efron making the whole exercise watchable. “17 Again” suffers a lot from these problems; Efron does a great job of making up for them but at the end of the day, a better film could have resulted if the filmmakers were a bit more clever with how they executed this age-old premise.

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Todd Murphy is a film analyst and staff writer/reviewer for the film and DVD review web site, ALL ABOUT MOVIES.NET.