Despite the predictable body-shifting premise and a heavy dose of sentimentality, this teen comedy is extremely enjoyable
17 Again (2009)
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Reviews Counted:135
Fresh:78
Rotten:57
Average Rating:5.5/10
Consensus: Though it uses a well-worn formula, 17 Again has just enough Zac Efron charm to result in a harmless, pleasurable teen comedy.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for language, some sexual material and teen partying.
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Apr 17, 2009 Wide
Box Office: $64,087,443
Synopsis:
What would you do if you got a second shot at life?
Class of 1989, Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron) is a star on the high school basketball court with a college scout in the stands and a bright future...
What would you do if you got a second shot at life?
Class of 1989, Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron) is a star on the high school basketball court with a college scout in the stands and a bright future in his grasp. But instead, he decides to throw it all away to share his life with his girlfriend Scarlet and the baby he just learned they are expecting.
Almost 20 years later, Mike's (Matthew Perry) glory days are decidedly behind him. His marriage to Scarlet (Leslie Mann) has fallen apart, he has been passed over for a promotion at work, his teenage kids think he is a loser, and he has been reduced to crashing with his high school nerd-turned-techno-billionaire best friend Ned (Thomas Lennon).
But Mike is given another chance when he is miraculously transformed back to the age of 17. Unfortunately, Mike may look 17 again, but his thirtysomething outlook is totally uncool among the class of 2009.
And in trying to recapture his best years, Mike could lose the best things that ever happened to him.
New Line Cinema Presents An Offspring Entertainment production, 17 Again, starring Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Michelle Trachtenberg, Sterling Knight, Melora Hardin and Matthew Perry.
The film is directed by Burr Steers from a screenplay by Jason Filardi. The producers are Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot. Toby Emmerich, Mark Kaufman, Keith Goldberg and Jason Barrett are the executive producers, with Dara Weintraub serving as co-producer.
The behind-the-scenes creative team is led by director of photography Tim Suhrstedt, production designer Garreth Stover, editor Padraic McKinley and costume designer Pamela Withers Chilton. The music is composed and conducted by Rolfe Kent, and the music supervisor is Buck Damon.
17 Again will be distributed domestically by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. --© Warner Bros
Starring: Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon
Starring: Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Michelle Trachtenberg, Sterling Knight, Melora Hardin
Director: Burr Steers
Director: Burr Steers
Screenwriter: Jason Filardi
Producer: Adam Shankman, Jennifer Gibgot
Composer: Rolfe Kent
Studio: New Line Cinema
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Reviews for 17 Again
It relies primarily on charm and unabashed sweetness that perfectly suits Efron's easy grace.
Efron's appealing within the confines of his limited range, but like the film itself, a severe case of blandness puts a lid on any breakout potential.
Look, if you go for the whole Zac Efron thing, all is well. Me, I found his blandness to be a crippling flaw from which the movie had no prayer of recovering.
The premise may have been done and overdone but Zac Efron makes it somehow fresh.
It must have taken the powers-that-be a brief 20-minute lunch session over a stale roast beef sandwich to conceive this woefully derivative teen comedy
Innocuous eighties like high school fantasy sitcom with no cutting edge.
There was nothing here that was particularly funny, new, or inventive.
Just funny enough to recommend, although other than some incestuous father-daughter sexual tension, there's nothing particularly novel or memorable about this cliché-ridden variation on the time-travel comedy theme.
If you ever wondered what the HSM series would have been like without Zac Efron's bad singing you have your answer in 17 Again
Then there's [Matthew] Perry. He is a full foot taller than [Zac] Efron, heavier, much different face %u2014 need I continue?
As much fun as 17 Again has with its young-again reverie, the conclusions Mike reaches are not fantastic, but, more accurately, adult.
It's a strange movie indeed that is all about a 37-year-old heterosexual male and yet isn't likely to appeal to any 37-year-old heterosexual males.
Efron seems to be on autopilot just going through the motions. His charismatic good looks will mesmerize the audience into believing he can act. Besides a priceless smile and a few nifty dance steps, he excels at dribbling and twirling a basketball.
Latest News for 17 Again
August 10, 2009:
RT on DVD: A Sweet I Love You, Man Deleted Scene, Zooey Deschanel's Latest, and More
You're in for some sweet, sweet movie watching this week, starting with the latest in bromantic comedies (I Love You, Man, starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel). Those with a High... More...
April 20, 2009:
Tune In to the Rotten Tomatoes Show This Week!
This week, The Rotten Tomatoes Show will be looking at the movies that opened over the weekend, with help from you (the Rotten Tomatoes community), the Current TV community, and... More...
April 20, 2009:
Zac Efron enjoys breakout role in Hollywood's latest time-travel adventure. ![]()
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April 19, 2009:
Box Office Wrapup: Zac Attacks #1 Spot with 17 Again
This weekend Zac Efron scored his second number one opener in six months as his non-musical high school comedy 17 Again debuted powerfully in the top spot to lead the North... More...
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