17 Again Review

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: A guy who loses a promotion, is in a divorce with his wife, and has no relationship with his kids wishes he could go back to high school and change his life. He magically becomes seventeen again and gets the chance to rewrite his life.


THE GOOD: Message. Body switch movies always have great messages and 17 Again is no different. Even from the beginning of the film, there's a great lesson of selflessness taught. Ultimately, the choices you make in life are made by you and only you no matter how influential the people around you are. You cannot blame anyone else for your shortcomings, or your... longcomings? Whatever.


Zac Efron. OMG! When Zac Efron has his shirt off playing basketball, I was like, *sqweee*. Naw, but seriously, the kid does great in this film. He captures Matthew Perry's mannerisms so well. I have to be honest and say that I've never seen him in anything before and I think he does a great job playing the teen version of Mike. Bright future ahead for him as long as he doesn't take the crazy pills that other celebs seem to be popping these days.

Funny. I did laugh pretty hard at a few scenes. The awkwardness that Mike experiences with the relationships with his son and daughter is pretty funny. Also, Thomas Lennon who is most known for portraying the short-shorts wearing Lieutenant on Reno 911!, plays a hilarious uber geek who constantly tries to hook up with the principal of the school played by Melora Hardin. The first time they go out turns out to be one of the funniest moments in the film.


THE BAD: Unoriginal. My gosh, how many times has this been done? Young Again, 13 Going On 30, Freaky Friday, 18 Again!, Peggy Sue Got Married, Like Father Like Son, Vice Versa, Big. There might be more, but I think I've made my point.

Casting. Do people actually believe that Zac Efron is going to grow up to look like Matthew Perry? Yeah, if a two ton truck lands on the side of his head, I might believe it, but Efron and Perry look nothing alike. Tom Cruise maybe, but Matthew Perry? Come on. I'm looking at you Lisa Beach and Sarah Katzman. Also, Allison Miller looks nothing like Leslie Mann. But I forgive Beach and Katzman on that one. I don't think there are very many people that look or sound like Mann.


Music. Tough guys aren't listening to Limp Bizkit anymore. I hope cheerleaders aren't still dancing to Fergalicious. The music chosen for this film is awful. I don't quite know who is to blame for this. Ultimately, I think the director Burr Steers is the one who should be held responsible.


THE END: I can't say that 17 Again is all that great, or that it is the best body switching movie, but it is entertaining. I don't feel bad about it earning a four to one return on the estimated production cost. The marketing for the film has been fantastic and Efron really sells it. I would suggest patiently waiting to rent this.

You can read my wife's review here.


DISCUSS: What are some other body/mind transportation movies? What's your favorite? What is your opinion on Zac Efron as an actor? If you could recast Matthew Perry's role, who would be your first three choices?