17 ans encore

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.

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.

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.

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.

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