17 otra vez

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.

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 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

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