17 Again Review – Sweet and Funny

Movie: 17 Again * Trailer * Official Site	In Theaters: April 17, 2009
Runtime: 102 minutes	Directed by: Burr Steers
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, some sexual material and teen partying	Gecko Rating:

I predict that Zac Efron is headed for mega-stardom, if he doesn’t implode from all the fame and fortune and paparazzi, that is. In "17 Again," he carries the movie admirably, and does so with sweetness, heart and humor. He’s only 21, but already has the "High School Musical" franchise, mega-hit "Hairspray," and a long list of TV roles on his IMDB page, dating back to a small role in "Firefly" in 2002.

But I love him in "17 Again," because whether he’s trying to woo his (now much older) wife or explain to his (now the same age) daughter about sex, you really feel like he’s using the opportunity of being "17 again" to his advantage, making up for all the stuff he hasn’t done as an adult. He could be partying, but instead, he just wishes to be his adult self again, now that he has all this newfound knowledge about life.

"17 Again" also reunites Efron with producer Adam Shankman, who helmed "Hairspray." These two have great movie chemistry, so I hope they continue to make movies together. 

The movie starts with high school senior Mike O’Donnell (Efron) as a star on the basketball team with a college scout in the stands and a bright future ahead of him. But right before the big game, his girlfriend Scarlett tells him they’re expecting a baby, so he decides to chuck it all and make a life with her.

Jump ahead 20 years, and Mike is 30-something and regretting that decision he made long ago. He and Scarlett (Leslie Mann) are divorcing, he’s passed over for a promotion at work, and his teenage kids Maggie (Michelle Trachtenberg) and Alex (Sterling Knight) think he’s a loser.

So Mike moves in with his nerdy best friend from high school Ned (Thomas Lennon), who’s turned his nerd-dom into billions. A funny sub-plot involves Ned’s house filled with all sorts of geeky stuff from "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings." When he starts romantically pursuing the high school principal (Melora Hardin, who actually fits in this role better than she did in "Hannah Montana: The Movie"), turns out they both know the Elvish language from "Lord of the Rings." Too funny.

When Mike goes to pick up his kids from school, a mysterious janitor there does some wonky stuff that turns Mike into a 17-year-old teenager again – in the form of Zac Efron. He’s excited to start life over again, but soon realizes that he doesn’t want to be 17 again, and instead uses his younger self to help his wife and kids realize their dreams.

I give this movie 3.5 out of 5 Geckos because the "young again" story is so overdone. We’ve seen it in a dozen other movies over the years, and there’s only so much you can do with it. But Efron manages to bring something new to the familiar plot with his sweet and heartfelt performance.

READ MY INTERVIEW with Lorna Scott, who plays the school secretary (and is very funny!). 

NOTE TO PARENTS: It’s rated PG-13, and if you haven’t had the sex talk with your under-13 kids yet, you might want to hold off on this one. The main plot revolves around a teenage girl getting pregnant and her boyfriend marrying her. There’s a scene where a teacher passes out condoms to a classroom of kids (although the school’s health ed policy is abstinence!). A teenage guy tries to talk a girl into having sex with him. Teen girls throw themselves at Zac’s character.

There’s a reference to MILF, and a wild party where teens get drunk. Language includes "whore," "dick," "bitch," and at one point, young Mike tells a cafeteria full of kids that a bullying guy has a "small wiener."

That’s all pretty racy, but the overall message is good. Young Mike tells his classmates not to have sex until they’re married, encourages his (same-age) daughter not to have sex and to wait for the right guy, coaches his son to get on the basketball team, and helps his wife realize her dream of starting a landscaping business.

Photo Credits: Chuck Zlotnick; New Line Cinema; TM and (c) 2008 Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.