Load of rubbish!!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

The framing in this reverse-time-travel comedy is rough. The beginning part in the past is lame, & when Perry shows back up it's lame. However, literally everything in between is fun and super funny. Efron is revelatory; anytime he breaks character and starts acting like an adult / parent, he shows a complete control over his character and a ton of future promise for his career. And if you were wondering if it gets "Back-to-the-Future"-esque creepy....don't worry. It totally does. And it totally works.

Considering the fact that the premise of this film (old/young body/soul swapping) has pretty much been done to death in varying decades, "17 Again" is surprisingly effective at rendering the concept funny once again in 2009.For a basic plot summary, this film sees an adult Mike O'Donnell (Matthew Perry) dissatisfied with his life and pining for the promise of his high school career once again. Well, thanks to a magical school janitor (one should always watch out for those characters!), he is put back into the body of his former teen self (Zac Efron) for a "do-over". The "catch", however, is that he is still in the present day (2009), not 1989.The plot of this movie alone lends itself to all sorts of personal and social sight gags, and this movie mines them to their fullest. Seeing Mike trying to weave his way through current high school hallways and scenarios is made entertaining by director Burr Steers. It never gets boring, but also never goes "over the top", either.What really makes "17 Again" a fun watch, however, is the quality of the acting. Though Perry is okay in his relatively brief role, Efron is solid as "young Mike" trying to find his place in today's world. So many viewers can't stand Efron because they view him as a "pretty boy", but in this effort he shows he can act a bit, too. Youngsters Sterling Knight & Michelle Trachtenberg shine in their roles as well. Yet, Thomas Lennon (of Reno 911 fame) nearly steals the show as the goofy nerd sidekick, providing some of the funniest moments of the entire experience.Overall, "17 Again" is a charming little film that can be enjoyed by tweens on up. A few of the jokes and physical humor is a bit "risque", but for the most part it is relatively tame (at least compared to other comedies of the same nature).

In the year of 1989, Mike O'Donnell is a burgeoning basketball stud at high school with the chance for a lucrative future. He gives it all up at 17 years old during the biggest game of his life to take care of his pregnant girlfriend and get married. Years later, their marriage falls apart because Mike whines incessantly about the life he was supposed to have. Scarlet decides to leave him and Mike's life falls apart. Even his kids seem to dislike him. During a visit to his old high school, a mysterious janitor gives Mike the opportunity to be 17 again. Mike ends up taking it and wakes up the next morning as his 17-year-old self. Mike begins to realize that his old life wasn't so bad after all. This was never going to contend for any Oscars, but it was freaking cute! It isn't all that original either. While it is derived from better films, this movie has a charm of its own and hooks you in from the beginning. This movie is aimed for the younger generation, but I feel adults can enjoy this one as well! I wouldn't necessarily call this a family film. There are some disturbing things in this movie! There are slight hints at incest (The storyline between Efron & Trachtenberg is rather creepy, because they are father and daughter) Watching Mike hit on an older Scarlett is a bit inappropriate as well. That being said, It came across as genuine and it's pretty hard to resist. I also questioned how SO MANY people didn't figure out that it was Mike as his younger self. He acts just like him and looks EXACTLY like him. There is a photo in the school hallway with Mike and his basketball team! I'm also positive that Mike would have shown his kids what he looked like when he was younger. I find it hard to believe that a hunk like Efron would look like Matthew Perry as an adult! It's very implausible, but just go with it. It's filled with clever jokes and genuine heart that is hard to find in Hollywood these days. That's why I was happy to put my disbelief aside. Performances are solid. Zac Efron is absolutely winning! He looks to be having fun and loaded with charisma. Hopefully he stays away from substance abuse. The man is talented! Matthew Perry is fun as his older counterpart! He's a tad miscast, but Perry's charisma manages to overcome that. It was nice to see him in a big role. His patented sarcasm is always welcome with me. Leslie Mann is sexy and enjoyable as Scarlett. I wouldn't call her great, but she was entertaining to watch. Thomas Lennon is alternately annoying and amusing as Mike's best friend. Michelle Trachtenberg is cute and a bit creepy in her role, especially in the second half. The ending is typically happy and predictable, but that wasn't a bad thing in this case. It's something I wanted. It's just a great message that proves you should be happy with the good choices that you've made and they've happened for a reason. I enjoy sentimentality, so I dug this movie. It's a little weird at times, but I had a good time. You can try to resist it all you want, but any right person won't be able to. It's just a fun movie that doesn't try to be anything else! I need that sometimes.6.8/10

If it's got Zac Efron, I avoid it. Its a pretty solid rule. But this rule is broken for 17 Again. He is actually pretty damn good in it, especially in one particular scene. And makes me reconsider his position as a good actor who's cursed with good looks and fallen into the heartthrob ring of bad movies.But I digress. Back to the film, most 'time-travel'/ 'second chance' films are pretty bad, but this is a great watch to me. Its got a great cast all round. Matthew Perry fits perfectly for the role as does a very underrated Leslie Mann. The kids seem like up and comers too. The plot is very interesting and plays on the emotional side more than you would think. The characters/actors make the laughs come and move the story along. Definitely worth a watch whenever its on.