On the Big Board |
Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
16/82 |
Kelly Metz |
This was surprisingly enjoyable. Zac Efron was believable as the young Matt Perry. Not sure a dance number was really necessary, though. |
17/21 |
Jason Lee |
Strong star turn by Efron but this is really just a 120 minute sitcom |
53/169 |
Max Braden |
This had some charm. |
Zac Efron is the closest thing there's been to a teen heartthrob lately thanks to the runaway success of High School Musical and last summer's Hairspray. Now he stars in 17 Again, and seeing as it's been five years since Freaky Friday, it's time for another body switching/wish fulfillment comedy again.
Efron is Mike, a high school senior who has it all back in the '80s. But the next 25 years didn't go exactly as he planned, and he's now separated from his wife, stuck in a dead end job and living with his best friend.
Some magical/mysterious voodoo later, he's 17 again, and gets a second chance to try it all over. Expect lots of fashion and technology jokes as Mike attempts to readjust to high school, and there will be Important Life Lessons learned. Matthew Perry is Older Mike and also starring are Leslie Mann, Michelle Trachtenberg and Thomas Lennon.
Efron has had the most success of the High School Musical cast so far, and this is his first true leading role since then. Since a great deal of the plot appears to hinge on Efron's character being much older than he actually is, it seems that acting skill would be involved, but whether he convincingly pulls it off or not is completely irrelevant to the legions of screaming girls who will very likely show up and make 17 Again a potential box office surprise. (Tim Briody/BOP)
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