17 again - Ritorno al liceo

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.

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

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.

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")

(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)