User reviews

In 1989, the teenager Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron) is the star of the Hayden High-School. On the day of the final basketball game, Mike will be observed and may win a scholarship in college. However, his girlfriend Scarlett (Allison Miller) tells him that she is pregnant and Mike does not play the game. Twenty years later, Mike (Matthew Perry) is a complete loser that blames Scar for his failures: he is not promoted to sale manager after working sixteen years in the same company; Scarlett (Leslie Mann) is divorcing him; his teenagers son Alex (Sterling Knight) and daughter Maggie (Michelle Trachtenberg) hate him; and he is temporarily living with his best friend, the eccentric and immature millionaire Ned Gold (Thomas Lennon). Mike nostalgically visits Hayden where an old janitor talks to him about second chance in life. During the night, he sees the janitor jumping from a bridge into the river and he unsuccessfully tries to help the man. Mike passes out and when he wakes up, he discovers that he is seventeen again. Further, he discovers that he has a second chance to fix his relationship with his family.

"17 Again" is another good movie about second chance in life. I believe most of people in a certain age question decisions took in the past and would like to have a second chance to re-route his or her life in that milestone. The cinema makes this dream come true and certainly the story is pleasant for most of the people. In addition, the two lead stars (Zac Efron and Matthew Perry) are nice actors and the result is a nice entertainment for whole family. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "17 Outra Vez" ("17 Again")

As we've seen many movies like this before: Big, 13 Going on 30, and Freaky Friday, we always love to see the retelling of the old classic story of the switching age. Since the story has been used so much, a director can only do so much to just do the best they can with, Burr Steers pulls 17 Again out with great laughs and good fun. I'm going to get this out, I am one of the rare girls that just doesn't get the whole Zac Efron heart throb thing, I agree that he's cute, but with mainly High School Musical only being his claim to fame other than Hairspray, he is adorable, but can he act? Surprisingly… he can. I can't believe I'm saying this, he was actually a good strong lead role and a perfect fit, he has charisma, he's funny, charming and makes this story worth your time and money.

In 1989, Michael O'Donnell was a star athlete with a full college scholarship imminent. He seemingly had it all, when, right before the championship game, his girlfriend Scarlett informed him she was pregnant. In that moment, he made the decision to throw everything away and proposed to her. Twenty years later, Mike's life isn't exactly what he expected it to be. Scarlett wants a divorce from him, forcing him to move in with his geeky millionaire best friend Ned, his job is going nowhere, and his kids Maggie and Alex want nothing to do with him. While paying a visit to Hayden High School to reminisce about the life he threw away, he encounters a strange beardy janitor, who I still swear is Bob Haskins. On the way home, is magically transformed back into his 17-year old self. With Ned posing as his father, he re-enrolls in high school, believing he has been given the chance to have his life over again, "but to do it right". However, he then discovers that his daughter is dating the basketball captain Stan, who is bullying his son. He realizes that his real mission is to help his children as well as finding out that maybe his decision wasn't the worst he ever made in his life.

We go a little Back to the Future-esquire when we get on the creepy level of Michelle Trachtenberg having a crush on Zac Efron who is her father, just that she can't recognize him, it's understanding, but still makes you squirm, but the director and actors pulled the scene off pretty well with getting out of that yucky situation. There is one continuity error: if Mike and his girl got pregnant at the age of 17... 20 years later, yet both their kids are still in high school, the oldest child would only be a maximum of 18. A plot hole: seriously, besides the wife, no one at all recognizes Mike? But I'm over thinking the movie too much at this point, it's just a fun movie with decent performances, I just need to let go of silly mistakes. So I would recommend this movie if you get the chance to see it, but I'd say more of a matinée vs. a full price ticket, it has some good laughs and was a great update of the "What if you could go back?" story.

7/10

I went to see this with film with my teenage daughter and really wasn't expecting to enjoy it. I settled down in my seat for the duration and the first few scenes showing Efron as a high school basketball player had me groaning inwardly as I assumed that this was going to be another predictable high school/age swap film of the type that has been done so many times before - and really isn't the sort of film I would choose to see anyway. Not a promising start. However, I was pleasantly surprised by 17 Again. It was witty and well acted and made me laugh out loud - not something I often do even when I appreciate the humour in a film.

This film's appeal is also strengthened by the acting of the supporting characters as well as the main ones - Thomas Lennon's character was particularly well delivered. I found no fault with Zac Efron's acting in this and I enjoyed his performance in Hairspray but it would be interesting to see him in a serious grown up dramatic role.

Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron) was a teen basketball jock with all the potential in the world. When his girlfriend got pregnant, he abandons it all to marry her. Now they're adults, Mike (Matthew Perry) can't stop blaming all his problems on this decision. His wife Scarlet (Leslie Mann) divorces him. Then one night, a guardian angel sends Mike through a vortex and turns him back into a teen again. He decides to go back to high school to relive his high school years, but instead he reconnects with his family.

Thomas Lennon does his wacky best friend. It's basically 'Big' in reverse. The story isn't anything new or original. Zac Efron is quite funny as the fish out of water. He's surprisingly great as a compelling lead. It's his performance and his energy that drives this movie. The trick is that he's not playing a teen. He's playing mid-30s in a body of a teen.

Every teen generation needs a good body swap/turn the clock back type of story and 17 again is one of those stories, Mike O'Donnell had it all. He was the star of his high schools basket ball team. He had Scarlet the most beautiful girl in the school as his girlfriend. Right before the game that could make him into a star, Scarlet tells Mike she's pregnant, Mike makes a drastic and life altering decision and runs out of the game to be with her giving up his chances of becoming a basket ball star, now 20 years later Mike's regretting it all and wishes he could do it all over again, and by some miraculous way he does.

17 again is a cool and stylish what if movie, it brings to light the question of what if you could change your life, if you could live it all over again.What would you do different? That's the question this movie propose and tells with a grand lush style that resonates with the teen population and even with the adults too, 17 again is not just some teen movie, it's a movie that even adults between the ages of 30-50 would enjoy it, my dad sure did. But this film has it's flaws and some very minor bad dialogue from Zack Efron but nothing that would hamper this films style or production, but in my honest opinion this film was very good, this movie is not Oscar worthy but it's definitely worth the price of admission.

I didn't think I would like this movie and yet I actually really did! First thing that makes one feel a bit reluctant about this movie is the fact that we saw this story hundreds of time. The going back in time/being a teen again stories are very popular. And yes, this one is another of them. Main reason I can't rate it is higher than 7 is because it lacks originality and it is easy to predict what happens and how it ends.

Yet, this does not ruin the movie. It has a fresh and funny dialogue and an amazing cast.

Actually I would like to apologize to Zac Effron. I never saw a movie with him before and only knew that he is loved by teenage girls. So when I started watching I was ind of resenting the idea that soon Mathew Perry, who is a funny actor, will be replaced by Zac Effron for the most of the movie. Yet, it didn't turn out as a bad thing. He is actually a very good and funny actor. Next time I see that he is in the cast, I will consider it a positive thing.

The rest of the cast was great as well, a special mentioning deserves Thomas Lennon whose character Ned made me laugh through the movie.

It is a very PG movie. I was very happy about the fact that they didn't make it too cheesy. It had its moments but for the most it is just light entertainment. I am not even the target audience, I think for the most it is appealing to teenagers or parents who miss their school days. I am neither and yet I liked it,so its a well done job.

This is another movie I watched with my friend who works at a movie theatre. With elements of Big and 13 Going on 30, not to mention It's a Wonderful Life and Back to the Future, 17 Again is a pretty enjoyable meshing of those movies considering the cast which has Zac Efron, Michelle Trachtenberg, Leslie Mann, Margaret Cho, Thomas Lennon, and Melora Hardin. I also recognized Matthew Perry and Nicole Sullivan. I did not realize until the cast credits that the bearded janitor at the high school was Brian Doyle-Murray, Bill's brother. Now, parts of the plot and characterizations were a little uneven but despite that there were plenty of scenes that were hilarious especially those between Lennon and Hardin. With them, I also saw a little "Big Bang Theory" vibe. Oh, and there's a little touching pro-abstinence speech here as well (though it still is acknowledged that not all teens will feel that way). All in all, despite some adult humor, 17 Again was an enjoyable comedy that should be enjoyable enough for parents and offspring alike. Oh, and one more thing: I thought the Vanilla Ice reference in the 1989 sequence didn't fit since I remember him not even emerging until the following year...

Why does this movie have only a six? Is it because of Efron?

I thought this movie was just smart and not lacking in any way. The script was hilarious and had a full good plot line, the casting was great (Zac Efron really made you believe he was married with children... looking 17!) and even the smaller roles were really great additions.

I've seen this movie thrice and trust me, it's not just for Efron (which I assume is why people are hating on it - stop the bias!), it's genuinely well written, directed, acted... etc.

Brilliant! Will see again... 17 Again.

I have to admit I am not a big fan of Zac Efron, but I saw 17 Again expecting to hate it but actually it wasn't that bad. Yes, the story is predictable, yes the pacing is uneven and yes the ending is a bit of a letdown.

However, there are a lot of redeeming merits. The soundtrack is excellent, and the script is surprisingly decent with just the right amount of quirky humour. The direction is good, while the acting is not bad at all. The characters are a little clichéd admittedly, but the actors do their best to make the most of their characters. Zac Efron gives a great performance in the lead and fits perfectly with the film's tone. Matthew Perry and Leslie Mann are both good too, but it is Efron's film all the way.

Overall, not bad actually quite enjoyable. 7/10 Bethany Cox

The storyline was very well done and enjoyable. I was pleasantly surprised at this movie. Keep an open mind and you will enjoy the movie.

Zac Efron did a really decent acting job. I honestly thought it would be High School Musical-like but it turned out to be a nice movie to watch. If he keeps up the good work and takes it to the next level, he can really be an A level quality star. Zac is no Matthew Macfadden yet but there is potential.

There are two recasts I would have done. Matthew Perry wasn't fully right for this role. He has a comedic bent but it wasn't used at all in this movie - hence a total waste and was a mismatch from a character perspective. I think John Stamos would have been better. Also Michelle Trachtenberg playing the teenager was a bit much. Trachtenberg is a solid actress but for a teenager, a different actress would have been better.

It is a very nice movie and I usually rate a movie on whether it's worth paying full price, matinée, video store, Netflix or don't bother. The movie was worth paying full price.

Matthew Perry has had an up an down film career but this isn't through lack of effort. The main problem is that in many of his films (which don't get me wrong I really like) he plays a character too similar to his character on the hit sitcom Friends. However here he is takes on a role I doubt anyone could have predicted and does very well in the limited screen time he had. Sure there are flashes of Chandler here but by and large it is a different type of character.

This is obviously a vehicle for Zac Efron and everything in this film is centred around him because of this. He proves in 17 again that he can be more than just that kid from High School Musical and can actually act.

He is ably supported by Leslie Mann and Thomas Lennon and overall this film is light, funny and entertaining and at times heart warming film that Matthew Perry is a big part of. of this.

I truly have become more convinced that Hollywood has been bankrupt of good ideas or good filmmakers who are in touch with what the audience really want to see. Boring, unimaginative, and completely lacking of good film-making. This film clearly show a complete lack of passion and vision. It imitates what others have so brilliantly forged but still falls flat. Burr Steers? Can someone say the emperor has no clothes? I would have loved to have been sitting in that studio/executive's office during the pitch for this concept. Why were they not thrown out on their behind, I will never know. What do they expect when they start with a very lame script, and then hire a completely inadequate director, Burr Steers, who does not know the craft if it were fed to him with a silver spoon. But wait, I think that is exactly how he got his job...not his skill but his inner connections. The agent for Zac should be fired for choosing such a vehicle to launch his rise into a leading man. Burr steers should never go near comedy again or even near film-making in general.

(Synopsis) In 1989, Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron) is a high school senior and star athlete, who is heading for college on a basketball scholarship. But instead, Mike must give up his dreams, because his girlfriend Scarlett (played by Allison Miller - teenager) is pregnant. Twenty years have gone by and Mike is not living the good life. Mike must move in with his wealthy software genius nerd and best friend, Ned Freedman (Thomas Lennon), because he is separated from his wife Scarlett (played by Leslie Mann – adult). Mike has two teenage children, and he doesn't have a good relationship them either. At work, Mike has been passed over for another promotion again, because he doesn't have a college degree. Mike has hit rock bottom so he returns to his high school to reminisce his glory days. He shares his feelings with the school janitor how great things were when he was 17. On his way back to Ned's house, Mike is changed into a 17 year-old again. Mike returns to high school to finish the life he thought he should have had.

(My Comment) The story is a 'what if' story of things that could have been. We don't know how life will treat us when we go down a different path. Where would I be if I had gone to college, joined the army, or not married Scarlet? But what people don't realize is that you only have one life, and you can never go back. You must live the life you have and make it better, if you can. If you want to change the world, make a change to your world, and you change the world. Mike realizes that he hasn't been a good father or husband. He discovers why he fell in love with Scarlet in the first place, and what he has missed by not being closer to his children. Mike already had a perfect life, he just didn't appreciate it. Zac Efron does a good job of making you believe that he is the father of his two children in the scenes he has with them. The storyline is predictable, and we have seen it before, but if you want to see a feel good movie that will keep the whole family entertained throughout, this is a good movie to see. It also has a moral to the story that you don't know what you have until you lose it. (New Line Cinema, Run Time 1:42, Rated PG-13)(7/10)

I have to admit I wasn't aware of Zac Efron (or his fame) before I watched this movie. I knew Matthew Perry (from Friends), but Zac? Actually I think I'm still not fully aware what kind of an idol he might be to some teenagers at this moment. But it's not about the names. The movie itself is pretty good. You might have seen Leslie Mann before (not only because she's married to a great director), but she has to carry a pretty heavy role here.

As do the others. There's themes here that might be borderline for those faint hearted types. But if you can't handle some pressure there, than you might not want to watch this. While this has been done in other similar fashions in movies (Big being one that comes in mind), this still is kinda good (haven't seen Big in a long time, so I can't really compare those movies). Nice teenage movies and a nice watch.

I'm starting to suspect that Hollywood no longer uses actual, human screenwriters to create their movies. After watching years of the same, recycled trash, I'm starting to think that they now use a screenplay-writing machine to do it.

This machine works very simply. A producer will enter the main character's name, one problem they are facing, and one 'gimmick' (an unusual plot twist often used as a selling point for the film), and hey presto! - out pops a completed, and entirely unoriginal screenplay. Such is the case for 17 Again.

Mike O'Donnell is a depressed suburban father (sounds familiar already, doesn't it?) whose wife is divorcing him, kids can't stand him, and who just got passed over for a promotion. As the movie progressed, it started to seem very, very familiar - a crippling combination of unoriginal jokes, stereotypical characters and recycled plot devices. My friends and I started to grin and sneeringly guess what was going to happen later in the film, and guess what: most of the time, we were right.

We've all seen this movie before - it's been pieced together from the discarded carcasses of films past, by a flock of vultures seemingly so unaccustomed to originality in film-making that they have been rendered unable to create any plot twist even slightly unexpected or interesting. And don't even get me started on Zac Efron's acting (or lack of such).

Two small good things. Out of the dozens of jokes thrown at us, a select few - maybe five - were genuinely hilarious. Other than that, though, the humor relied on the the faux-improvised, overly-awkward style of comedy popularized by Seth Rogen and co. It doesn't work here. The other highlight, of course, was Matthew Perry. He's the man, and an excellent comic actor, but his short on-screen time was not enough to salvage this unoriginal, unfunny, and worst of all boring attempt at light entertainment. Perhaps if the film had eliminated the dramatic aspects and stuck to being a comedy, it could have succeeded, but this is one movie I certainly would not want to see again.

I've just returned from the cinema after watching this film and I have to say, my friends and I laughed like a bunch of hyenas (probably to the annoyance of anyone behind us) all the way through it. The story of course is nothing original, but you knew that going in, and yes, there are some seemingly ridiculous or stereotypical character setups, again acknowledged beforehand, but the direction and the acting, more than makes up for this. Most of the actors, especially Efron, who proves he's definitely not just a wanna-be pretty boy and actually stores away some talent, play their parts well. Matthew Perry seemed slightly misplaced, even if he was the reason I went to see the film in the first place. Not to mention the director being Burr Steers who directed one of my favourite films. I could kind of tell how in the wrong hands this movie could have been embarrassingly bad, but Steers manages to balance the right amount of comedy with drama and turn it into something really worth seeing. Efron blew me away. I have to say, I didn't see it coming, and I never thought I'd say such a sentence, but this boy can do better than TV Disney movies. I'm kind of glad he has turned down re-make, Footloose, not only because it's a 're-make of footloose'.

On the negative side of things the writing lacked in terms of Mark's relationship with his daughter. The daughter didn't really seem to have a personality, now I'm not totally sure if this is down to Trachtenbergs terrible acting (one of very little who deliver poor performances actually) or poor character development but something was wrong there.

I don't really rate the cinematography, but I don't think it's something to be taken quite seriously in teen films. It's all about the characters and the comedy - but what was up with that image of Zac right before 'Mark' falls into the water? Some interesting choices of music. One of the funniest movies I've seen in a while. Quite moving and Mark is a much more 3 dimensional, well developed character than most PG-13 rated movies you see. I genuinely cared about him, where as, even in Mean Girls, (which is particularly hilarious and legendary as far as contemporary teen films go) I didn't care too much for any of the characters. It's probably because this film went that little bit further than most and took itself seriously, if only for parts of the movie. It makes a big difference.

So, yeah, '17 Again', fairly well written, hilarious, well and sometimes greatly acted and awesome direction for the most part, and a genuinely good, enjoyable and moving film. Take a look and you'll probably be surprised... but don't go in hoping for anything Oscar worthy. I get the impression there is only so much a director can do with a film like '17 Again' and he did it alright.

Trustworthy director and impressive lead, I'd say. Can make all the difference.

p.s. I'd also watch out for that Sterling Knight actor - he plays Marks awkward son. He gave a genuinely good performance also.

When i was going to see this film,i thought to myself that Zac Efrom was going to be all over this film showing off and all the girls in the cinema(which were about 95% of)would jump onto the screen and try and lick it.That wasn't the case at all.

This film had been really funny and the star was of course Mr Efron himself.Efron's jokes were very well done and the way he handled himself around his family was fantastic.I would be the same thing if i went back to 17...although i am 15 right now.

Matthew Perry was easily the lead in to efron,and he played it very well.Leslie's performance was a decent one.Michelle's was great at playing the horny,attitude,whatever teenage daughter.As for the loser son he was good as well as he turned from zero to hero.

Overall this film had a cleaver story and quality acting that will make this film stand out as a comedy hit.

Pro:

• Good Script
• Small Comic Moments
• Nice Directing Job By Burr Steers
• Zac Efron's Acting Improved Since "High School Musical"
• Everything About Ned

Cons: -Typical American Comedy Without Big Claims.