Movie Review: 17 Again
Alliance, New Line Film Stars Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann
Apr 16, 2009
Consider if you will Zac Efron, the teen pinup of the moment, trying to forge a lasting career post-High School Musical.
Consider Matthew Perry, 5 years past his prime, trying to reignite his glory days as a comedic leading man. Consider also Leslie Mann (AKA Mrs. Judd Apatow), who does sterling work in comedies like The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up but has little fame beyond those roles.
Now consider 17 Again, a highly derivative "second chances" comedy that wastes the time and talents of everyone involved. A clichéd mess filled with the kind of characters that only live in the stunted imaginations of hack Hollywood screenwriters, it's the kind of film these actors will want to quickly remove from their resumes.
17 Again Stars Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann, Michelle Trachtenberg
Mike O'Donnell (Perry) is a bitter shell of a man, stuck in a dead-end job, and recently passed over for a big promotion. His wife (Leslie Mann) wants a divorce, and his kids (Michelle Trachtenberg and Sterling Knight) want nothing to do with him. A former basketball star in high school, Mike gave up a college scholarship when he got his girlfriend pregnant at age 17. Now he would give anything to return to his glory years.
Faster than you can say "wish fulfillment," a mysterious janitor (Brian Doyle Murray) offers him that chance. Transformed back into his 17-year-old self (Zac Efron), Mike restarts his life the way he thinks it should go, and enlists his geeky-but-rich best friend (Thomas Lennon) to pose as his father.
But, this being Hollywood, Mike swiftly realizes this isn't about him: it's about his family. Mike must turn his son from zero to hero, plus rescue his daughter from the clutches of the school bully, and save his marriage.
Sound familiar? Films like It's a Wonderful Life, Big, Like Father Like Son, Freaky Friday (both versions) and Vice Versa have mined similar terrain for decades. Given that the first image in this film is of Efron, shirtless and greased up, director Burr Steers and scripter Jason Filardi clearly hope the overheated teen audience won't notice the recycled, sieve-like plot.
Every possible plot and character cliché is in this movie. There's Ned, the sort of wealthy nerd who only exists in Hollywood – ignore the fact that, in real life, Mike would have dumped his ass for cooler buds back in Grade 9. Ned's smart enough to buy his "son" designer duds, but dresses like a pimp from Pomona and sleeps in a Land Speeder replica. Will he somehow find love with the icy school principal (Melora Hardin) despite acting like a complete idiot? Ya think?
There are the obligatory life lessons, the obligatory happy endings, and the obligatory plot twists that are so telegraphed you could set your watch by them.
Much of the comedy in this film comes from people acting like idiots. Mann's character accepts that her son's newest friend is "Uncle Ned's kid," despite the fact that (a) Ned's never gotten to first base with a woman in his life and (be) this kid looks and acts just like her soon-to-be ex husband. Naturally, Trachtenberg's character falls in love with Mike (where have we seen that before?) and, in a cringe-worthy scene, tries to seduce him.
But the most distressing part of 17 Again is that Zac Efron clearly deserves better. He has charisma to burn, and good comic timing. Whether this film is a temporary dip in his career, or the start of his downward trajectory, remains to be seen. But he's better than the material and it shows.
But, for Matthew Perry, the ride appears to be over for the former Friends star. He plays the same sarcastic character over and over again, to increasingly lesser returns, and this film won't help his career any. Mann is in the best position, since she can always get a gig in one of Judd Apatow's films.
The Final Analysis
Whether or not Efron's charisma and chiseled abs can turn 17 Again into a hit, the fact remains that it's badly written and not funny. While the High School Musical star has potential to build a lasting career in Hollyweird, this film could also kill it. For his sake, let's hope his next film is better than this clichéd mess.
17 Again gets a 4/10.
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