This is another movie I watched with my friend who works at a movie theatre. With elements of Big and 13 Going on 30, not to mention It's a Wonderful Life and Back to the Future, 17 Again is a pretty enjoyable meshing of those movies considering the cast which has Zac Efron, Michelle Trachtenberg, Leslie Mann, Margaret Cho, Thomas Lennon, and Melora Hardin. I also recognized Matthew Perry and Nicole Sullivan. I did not realize until the cast credits that the bearded janitor at the high school was Brian Doyle-Murray, Bill's brother. Now, parts of the plot and characterizations were a little uneven but despite that there were plenty of scenes that were hilarious especially those between Lennon and Hardin. With them, I also saw a little "Big Bang Theory" vibe. Oh, and there's a little touching pro-abstinence speech here as well (though it still is acknowledged that not all teens will feel that way). All in all, despite some adult humor, 17 Again was an enjoyable comedy that should be enjoyable enough for parents and offspring alike. Oh, and one more thing: I thought the Vanilla Ice reference in the 1989 sequence didn't fit since I remember him not even emerging until the following year...

The idea for this film is hardly new. The notion of an adult becoming a teen once again or a teen becoming an adult or a teen going back in time and visiting their parents when they are teens--all are very, very familiar. Films like "Big", "Back to the Future", "Like Father Like Son" are just among the few examples of these sort of films. However, like I once heard a brilliant author say that "...there are only a limited number of plots--it's what you DO with the plot and characters that matters". And, she's right--not just because she's my wife!

What I liked about "17 Again" is that it excels for two main reasons. First, the film is a bit irreverent and I loved the dialog. While parents might want to think twice about the film for younger kids, words like "douche" and "wiener" are the way kids really talk--I know, as I taught high school. Second, the supporting characters are really good--in particular, the friend of the time-traveling man, Ned is great. He's a wonderfully funny addition to the film and his antics alone make the film worth seeing.

The plot finds Matthew Perry a lonely man whose life is falling apart. His wife wants a divorce and he has a terrible relationship with his kids. However, when a bizarre other-worldly janitor (Brian Doyle Murray) puts some sort of magical spell or curse on him, he suddenly become 17 once again. In this new role, he decides to go back to high school and help his kids. It seems that his son is a lonely wimp and his daughter is a bit of a tramp--dating the scum-bag that regularly beats up her brother!!

Perry soon finds in his new guise as a 17 year-old (played by teen heart-throb Zac Efron),he's a lot more successful than he was as a father. He manages to be rather cool and a great teenager. He's able to help his son learn about his inner strength and skills--and joins the basketball team. The daughter, on the other hand, is a bit of a problem. She is a slut in training...but also thinks that Efron's attentions means he's great boyfriend material! And, to make things a lot worse, he and his soon to be ex-wife hit it off great...TOO GREAT. It's all rather creepy--but funny at the same time both daughter and mother head over heels in love with him! And, surprisingly, Efron handled the acting part of this quite well.

Overall, the film manages to be both entertaining to teens (I watched it with my daughter and as a representative of every teen in America, she loved the film) and adults--my wife and I liked it. It's rare to find a film that is interesting and intelligently written enough to appeal to all age groups. Some parents may object to the language and the portion in the sex ed class, but I thought this was all handled appropriately and responsibly.

Far better than I ever expected it could be.

I have to admit I am not a big fan of Zac Efron, but I saw 17 Again expecting to hate it but actually it wasn't that bad. Yes, the story is predictable, yes the pacing is uneven and yes the ending is a bit of a letdown.

However, there are a lot of redeeming merits. The soundtrack is excellent, and the script is surprisingly decent with just the right amount of quirky humour. The direction is good, while the acting is not bad at all. The characters are a little clichéd admittedly, but the actors do their best to make the most of their characters. Zac Efron gives a great performance in the lead and fits perfectly with the film's tone. Matthew Perry and Leslie Mann are both good too, but it is Efron's film all the way.

Overall, not bad actually quite enjoyable. 7/10 Bethany Cox