Director: Burr Steers (Igby Goes Down)
Screenplay: Jason Filardi
Producers: Jennifer Gibgot, Adam Shankman
Starring: Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Matthew Perry, Michelle Trachtenberg, Melora Hardin, Hunter Parrish, Jim Gaffigan
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running time: 102 min.

(3.5/5)

It’s amazing what an actor can do for a film. He or she can steal small scenes, and elevate entire films from unwatchable trash to mildly entertaining and in the case of 17 Again, Zac Efron manages to do just that.

Mike O’Donnell’s life is falling apart. He’s been looked over for a promotion at a company he’s been with for 17 years, his kids won’t talk to him, his marriage is falling apart and he’s bunking with his wacky high-school friend. Things aren’t looking up until a chance encounter with a janitor turns Mike back into his 17 year old self. With the help of his friend Ned, Mike enrols himself in high school in an attempt to relive his youth and not make the mistakes he made the first time around. As expected, along the way he builds a relationship with his kids, rekindles his love for his wife and comes to see that he did everything right the first time around but that as an adult, he had failed to remember the things that make him happy.

Truth be told 17 Again is not a disaster. Derivative and familiar yes but director Burr Steers knows what he’s doing and though the story device and message are nothing new, writer Jason Filardi does manage to plunk some tidbits of originality into the script.

Ned, Mike’s highschool buddy, is a millionaire geek who invented something or rather. Perhaps not entirely original but between Thomas Lennon’s performance (some may recognize him from “Reno 911”) and his story arch, the character feels much more complete than I could have hoped for. The same is true for Mike’s wife Scarlett (Leslie Mann being fabulous) and to a lesser extent, his kids. What makes the film really work is Zac Efron who carries the movie as the teen version of Mike. Though Efron is still wading his way through the “teen film”, he’s quickly turning from the pretty face of Disney into a young actor with ability. It’s already well known that he can sing and dance but here he shows that he can also act.

The best moments of this film come when Efron’s character is up against the problems of his adult self. When he confronts his wife and children in the body of a 17 year old with all the knowledge of his adult self things get a little tense. Though for the most part, the way out is through some comedic bit, Efron manages a surprising intensity. This is particularly noticeable in his exchanges with Leslie Mann and though they’re not en par with the similar circumstances in Jonathan Glazer’s Birth, they’re much more fervid and creepy than I had anticipated.

17 Again is a light hearted, family friendly film which will likely speak more to adults than to teens (though the inclusion of Efron is a flag for teen girls everywhere). By far the most impressive part of this film is Efron who manages to work some magic in the constraints of a story which is so kid friendly. He may be breaking away from his teen persona slowly but he’s shedding the skin and I can’t wait to see him emerge in a fully dramatic role. He shines here and I expect a great actor is lurking under all the good looks.