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Friday
17Apr2009

Movie Review - '17 Again'

DateFriday, April 17, 2009 at 1:03AM
17 Again

Starring Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, and Thomas Lennon
Directed by Burr Steers
Rated PG-13

17againposter.jpg We've seen enough body swap movies over the years to have it all figured out by now. It usually begins with someone making a wish about wanting to be big or small and then, after the transfer occurs, the person who made the wish realizes they were better off all along being themsevles, only they wouldn't have known that had they not become a teenager again or an old man.

So, knowing the rules, we are seldom caught unawares by the body swaps. Like anything else, if it's presented the right way - not necessarily an original way - then a body swap can be entertaining. That's the case with 17 Again.

Mike O'Donnell (Matthew Perry) has seen his life spin out of control. Twenty years ago, he quit the basketball team because he knocked up his high school girlfriend. Faced with a decision about his future, Mike walked off the court in the big game and never looked back. Only he always looked back because the life he built was so much different and less rewarding than the one he wanted.

His wife (Leslie Mann) kicks him out of the house and he's forced to live with his lifelong best friend, Ned (Thomas Lennon from Reno 911). Mike wishes he could be, well, 17 again, so that he'd make a different decision. Through a touch of magic or something, Mike finds himself staring back in the mirror at Zac Efron.

So far, so much what you'd expect. But 17 Again sets itself apart through the things surrounding its basic central story. If your supporting cast consists of Lennon, Mann, and Office vet Melora Hardin, you're well on your way. It's very smart to give someone other than Efron all the laughs, and that trio of reliable comedians takes the pressure off the film's young star.

But make no mistake, this is still the Zac Efron show. Escaping the High School Musical shell, Efron shows that he's got the charm to be a romantic lead, and he doesn't embarrass himself in scenes with the highly qualified comedians put in place around him. There's little doubt he has a bright future ahead of him and, refreshingly, he appears to have his head on straight. Regardless of his career's beginnings, the kid's got talent, and you can't begrudge him that.

Body swap movies are usually misfires. Real deviations like Pleasantville are hard to come by. Just as rare is the body swap that plays by the very restrictive rules and manages to win you over.

AuthorColin Boyd | | in , | Print ArticlePrint Article | | CommentPost a Comment |

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