Seen on: April 18, 2009

The players: Director: Burr Steers, Writer: Jason Filardi, Cast: Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Matthew Perry, Michelle Trachtenberg, Melora Hardin

Facts of interest: Burr Steers also directed "Igby Goes Down."

The plot: Mike is 37 and pretty much hates his life, until he's transformed back into his 17-year-old self.

Our quick thoughts: I never thought I’d write this, but Zac Efron’s latest teen comedy “17 Again” is not as bad as I expected. The film doesn’t offer viewers anything new in terms of story or its morals, but the plot moves along smoothly and even carries a bunch of funny moments that occasionally made me laugh.

The central story line, of course, is silly at best. Matthew Perry stars as Mike O’Donnell, a 37-year-old family man who’s on the verge of getting divorced, fails to connect with this kids, and pretty much regrets most decisions he made earlier in his life. Indeed, he would do it all over again if he could.

And guess what? He can! After falling off a bridge and being sucked into a sort of time warp, Mike (now Zac Efron) is magically transformed back to the age of 17. Withouth the knowledge of his family, he now embarks on a mission to relive his past and make some substantial changes to his life.

“17 Again” sounds like a harmless teen comedy with a conventional plot and a goodhearted central message, and that’s exactly what it is. But it’s by far not a perfect film, as Jason Filardi’s script is often too thin and way too sappy to be taken seriously. On the other hand, the movie isn’t as boring as I originally thought.

Although there’s enough energy floating around the main story line, the best jokes in the film involve Thomas Lennon (Lieutenant Jim Dangle from “Reno 911!), who stars as Mike’s best friend Ned, a complete geek who speaks Elvish and tries everything in his power to seduce Mike’s attractive principal. His onscreen moments are simply priceless.

Other than that, “17 Again” pretty much runs on autopilot, with Mike trying to correct all the mistakes he’s done in his life. Now that he’s 17 again, he gets a second chance to get his family to like him, and before you know it, he’s doing everything he can to protect his kids and make things right with his wife (the charming Leslie Mann).

Even though he pretty much puts on the same show as in the “High School Musical” flicks, Efron delivers a reasonably decent performance as the film’s lead character. A role like this one obviously doesn’t give him a real chance to prove what he’s got, for what it is, he’s doing fine for now.

Freaky quote: “I do not look like a douche." – Zac Efron

The final word: In the end, “17 Again” is not exactly the kind of movie I’d watch again. That said, I can’t really say it bored me to death. It’s a moderately entertaining comedy serving as a decent Saturday afternoon diversion, and that’s about it. I’m sure diehard Efron fans will fully enjoy it.

Article by Franck Tabouring