17 Again follows in the great tradition of the wish-fulfilment, body-’swap’ comedies of the past such as Freaky Friday, Big, and 18 Again. It’s particularly reminiscent of an old 1986 Disney TV movie Young Again, which starred a young Keanu Reeves as a 17 year old version of Robert Urich. I’m a sucker for these types of movies, I even enjoyed 2004’s chick-flick 13 Going on 30, of which this film could pass as a “guy’s” version – even if does star teen heartthrob Zac Efron.
The film tells the story of Mike O’Donnell, who in 1989 is the star of his high school basketball team, with a great life and great girlfriend. He throws his college, and future basketball career away when he finds out his girlfriend is pregnant and agrees to marry her. He spends the next 20 years complaining about his miserable life, and ignoring his kids, until his wife finally has enough and starts divorce proceeedings. A now homeless Mike moves in with his old high-school best friend, billionaire and uber-nerd, Ned. After hitting rock-bottom when he quits his job, Mike meets his “spiritual guide” in the guise of a high school janitor who magically transforms him back to 17 again…
I saw the trailer for this a few week’s ago and my exact thoughts were: “I love body-swap comdies and the film looks like it could be fun, but it stars Zac Efron – he of smug, charmless acting in High School Musical” but I needn’t have worried. Zac Efron is where the film’s greatest suprise lies: he carries the entire film on his charisma and charm, bringing a huge amount of likeability to his character. And it’s not just Efron’s character that proves emminently likeable, his roommate-come-temporary-dad, Ned, is one of the funniest ‘nerds’ of modern cinema. With a house full of geeky memorabilia (some of which I’d love myself – in particular the landspeeder bed) and a billionaire recluse lifestyle, Ned is in no way prepared when he falls head-over-heels for Mike’s high school principal. It’s the sub-plot of Ned’s attempts at woo-ing the principal that provides 17 Again with some of it’s funniest moments. After several failed attempts Ned finally gets a date with the principal, it’s whilst on the date that Ned discovers the object of his infatuation is also an Elvish-speaking ‘nerd’ like himself. The high school principal has some of the best lines of the movies, with classics such as: “Your lair or mine?” and “You can plunder my dungeon anytime!” – phrases which to many would seem wierd, but to Ned are manna from heaven
Efron’s makes it his quest to re-connect with, and help, his kids and to woo his soon to be ex-wife. This all comes to a head at a party to celebrate a basketball game win (aren’t all parties in teen movies for the same reason?) when he makes a move, as a 17 year old, on his 30-something wife. With his efforts now wasted, Mike decides to commit to re-living his basketball glory and playing in the big game, gaining the scholarship he gave up in 1989… At this point if you can’t see the end coming then you clearly have never seen a romantic comedy or body-swap film in your life..!
17 Again is nothing we haven’t seen before, but if you can forgive the cliched plot, and even better: if you can put yourself back into the child-like mindset that you would’ve had in the 80’s when the body-swap comedies were king, 17 Again will definitely raise a few laughs and bring a smile to your face.
17 AGAIN **** (4/5)
Stars: Stars Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann
Written by Jason Filardi | Directed by Burr Steers.
Reader Comments
if Zac Efron plays his cards right, he will be one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood
20 years ago I was 17 and the film was a revelation! Zac evoked Marty McFly and Luke Skywalker. And the Star Wars references were comedy gold!
A treat from start to finish.