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Visitors Review

johnpaul_jan281995 2012-05-17 18:02:40

Dramatic and funny

Mike O'Donell was a basketball player and he gave it up to marry hisonly love, Scarlett. When they were 36, they broke up. But a janitorgave Mike a chance to change it all. Mike becomes 17 again.I love this movie. I love the characters and some scenes are reallydramatic and funny. The ending was great. They chose the perfectactors! The actors are really great! I did not like this movie too muchbecause some scenes were not that funny because it's more on drama notcomedy.I recommend this film. 7/10 and 3 stars/5. You will really like thismovie.

2012-05-17 11:12:24

So many versions...but this one works

As the years pass by we se the same subject being tackled again and again.But because the story is itself a kind of fantasy tale, this usually bringsme in for a view. Yes we know the story, we know how its gonna end. Pleasantly surprisehow the direction of this film went. Good smart script, good acting usually presents a good movie, and because the silly scenes or situations were keptat a minimum this became a very good movie.So if your into these types of movies, you should be able to enjoy thisone pretty good.

Claudio Carvalho 2012-05-13 14:43:15

Second Chance in Life

In 1989, the teenager Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron) is the star of theHayden High-School. On the day of the final basketball game, Mike willbe observed and may win a scholarship in college. However, hisgirlfriend Scarlett (Allison Miller) tells him that she is pregnant andMike does not play the game. Twenty years later, Mike (Matthew Perry)is a complete loser that blames Scar for his failures: he is notpromoted to sale manager after working sixteen years in the samecompany; Scarlett (Leslie Mann) is divorcing him; his teenagers sonAlex (Sterling Knight) and daughter Maggie (Michelle Trachtenberg) hatehim; and he is temporarily living with his best friend, the eccentricand immature millionaire Ned Gold (Thomas Lennon). Mike nostalgicallyvisits Hayden where an old janitor talks to him about second chance inlife. During the night, he sees the janitor jumping from a bridge intothe river and he unsuccessfully tries to help the man. Mike passes outand when he wakes up, he discovers that he is seventeen again. Further,he discovers that he has a second chance to fix his relationship withhis family."17 Again" is another good movie about second chance in life. I believemost of people in a certain age question decisions took in the past andwould like to have a second chance to re-route his or her life in thatmilestone. The cinema makes this dream come true and certainly thestory is pleasant for most of the people. In addition, the two leadstars (Zac Efron and Matthew Perry) are nice actors and the result is anice entertainment for whole family. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "17 Outra Vez" ("17 Again")

John J. Puccio 2012-05-12 19:17:52

It's cute and sweet and generally inoffensive.

kosmasp 2012-05-11 05:56:26

Not about the names

I have to admit I wasn't aware of Zac Efron (or his fame) before Iwatched this movie. I knew Matthew Perry (from Friends), but Zac?Actually I think I'm still not fully aware what kind of an idol hemight be to some teenagers at this moment. But it's not about thenames. The movie itself is pretty good. You might have seen Leslie Mannbefore (not only because she's married to a great director), but shehas to carry a pretty heavy role here.As do the others. There's themes here that might be borderline forthose faint hearted types. But if you can't handle some pressure there,than you might not want to watch this. While this has been done inother similar fashions in movies (Big being one that comes in mind),this still is kinda good (haven't seen Big in a long time, so I can'treally compare those movies). Nice teenage movies and a nice watch.

Michael Dequina 2012-05-10 15:03:18

Efron's adequate but completely anonymous work keep this from achieving true liftoff.

2012-05-10 16:20:09

fun family film

17 Again is probably the best family film you can possibly ask for. The swear words are usually mild so kids, teens and adults can enjoy it as a family.I was laughing several times throughout the movie. Of course the storyline is completely fictional because it's impossible for one person to actually turn back time and be 17 years old all over again, but for storyline reasons, it's a good one.The storyline flows flawlessly, so there's never any confusion over what's going on. The story is about a married man on the verge of a divorce who reflects back to his teenage years and when he was a star player on his high school basketball team.He believes he regrets getting his high school sweetheart pregnant, and believes he should have aimed for that basketball scholarship instead. While he reflects back to his teenage years, an old man appears (dressed as a janitor, but secretly holds the key to the fountain of youth). Eventually the man actually transforms back to his teenage years, and this is when the story picks up BIG time. As a 17-year old teenager, he actually goes back to high school where he sees his son being picked on by bullies, and his daughter having creepy losers for boyfriends. When he steps in and tries to defend his son and daughter against the bullies and losers, well, his son and daughter don't realize their classmate is actually their father, and that's what makes the film so hilarious. An even bigger part of the storyline is how he tries hitting on his wife as a 17-year old teen. The wife of course, thinks there's a startling resemblance between the teen and her ex-husband, but for most of the film, she doesn't think there's anything more to it than just that- an amazing coincidence.Anyway, I laughed several times while watching this movie, and I recommend it to just about anybody who enjoys solid comedy and great storytelling.

2012-05-10 02:56:46

What should have been?

This is such a fascinating and funny movie; what if we could go back in time? Would we choose differently or would we simply do it all over again? Zac Efron, I thought, was just a pretty boy, who was lucky to be in movies, but, I misjudged the book by its cover, he is such a talented and funny actor. Watch him in "17 again" as a middle aged man who gets to relive his youth and has a chance to rewrite his destiny. A smart and hilarious movie with a great cast of actors.

mystic-writing 2012-05-07 17:15:35

Very entertaining

The movie was very good- very modern and the ideas, characters, andscripts were fantastic. The only problem was was that the humor was alittle too predictable and forced, but otherwise I thought it wasfunny, entertaining and unique to other movies.i just wanted to comment on Zac Efron though- me being a huge fan ofthe high school musical franchise, it was funny seeing him swear,party, and talk about teen sex.But I thought that him "breaking out" of his high school musical rootswasn't really enforced in this movie: in the first few minutes, hestarts dancing (fairly well, actually) and he plays basketball A lot.too many connections to the hsm movies.overall, i thought the movie was fantastic- a must see for everyone.zac efron did an amazing job with his killer smile, and he definitelyworked hard for his role. not at all predictable, and i would go see itagain.

planktonrules 2012-05-07 07:34:45

Far better than I could have expected...

The idea for this film is hardly new. The notion of an adult becoming ateen once again or a teen becoming an adult or a teen going back intime and visiting their parents when they are teens--all are very, veryfamiliar. Films like "Big", "Back to the Future", "Like Father LikeSon" are just among the few examples of these sort of films. However,like I once heard a brilliant author say that "...there are only alimited number of plots--it's what you DO with the plot and charactersthat matters". And, she's right--not just because she's my wife!What I liked about "17 Again" is that it excels for two main reasons.First, the film is a bit irreverent and I loved the dialog. Whileparents might want to think twice about the film for younger kids,words like "douche" and "wiener" are the way kids really talk--I know,as I taught high school. Second, the supporting characters are reallygood--in particular, the friend of the time-traveling man, Ned isgreat. He's a wonderfully funny addition to the film and his anticsalone make the film worth seeing.The plot finds Matthew Perry a lonely man whose life is falling apart.His wife wants a divorce and he has a terrible relationship with hiskids. However, when a bizarre other-worldly janitor (Brian DoyleMurray) puts some sort of magical spell or curse on him, he suddenlybecome 17 once again. In this new role, he decides to go back to highschool and help his kids. It seems that his son is a lonely wimp andhis daughter is a bit of a tramp--dating the scum-bag that regularlybeats up her brother!!Perry soon finds in his new guise as a 17 year-old (played by teenheart-throb Zac Efron), he's a lot more successful than he was as afather. He manages to be rather cool and a great teenager. He's able tohelp his son learn about his inner strength and skills--and joins thebasketball team. The daughter, on the other hand, is a bit of aproblem. She is a slut in training...but also thinks that Efron'sattentions means he's great boyfriend material! And, to make things alot worse, he and his soon to be ex-wife hit it off great...TOO GREAT.It's all rather creepy--but funny at the same time both daughter andmother head over heels in love with him! And, surprisingly, Efronhandled the acting part of this quite well.Overall, the film manages to be both entertaining to teens (I watchedit with my daughter and as a representative of every teen in America,she loved the film) and adults--my wife and I liked it. It's rare tofind a film that is interesting and intelligently written enough toappeal to all age groups. Some parents may object to the language andthe portion in the sex ed class, but I thought this was all handledappropriately and responsibly.Far better than I ever expected it could be.

ruby 386 2012-05-05 18:13:24

17 again, again???

I totally loved this movie. The plot is quite worn-out but the approachwas fresh. I'm beginning to actually respect Zac Efron as an actor. Thecast is also very good for this movie, though I felt MichelleTrachtenberg's character was a bit underplayed and hard to relate to. Idon't think the Zac and Michelle combination worked out. I could'vedealt with a little less romance between Zac and Leslie but what thehay, those were the funniest and most heartwarming moments. I've alwaysadored Leslie's acting. She brightens up the screen. Sterling Knightwas surprisingly adorable with really hilarious expressions.A real plus in this movie is the script. It makes the movie worthwatching over again unlike some other teen movies. I really enjoyed thescript and the way it was delivered. Zac Efron was amazing, it caughtme by surprise, 'You little punk... you don't talk to him that way...',and the basketball tirade that follows, was brilliantly andeffortlessly executed. It was a joy to watch.I think the slapping thing was the only part I'd like to fast forward.One slap would suffice. Maybe Zac's a fan of Johnny Depp, he was eventrying to imitate Jack Sparrow but I'd beg Zac not to do it again, itwasn't funny, it was horrible. All in all, the movie was funny, sad,heartwarming and generally a feel-good movie.

paisley quinn 2012-05-05 07:16:53

Zac Efron is actually a good actor!

Very "feel good" movie and (like many viewers have said) a pleasantsurprise! I was wondering if the stale premise of a character returningto the past to live life over again would ruin the enjoyment of thisfilm, but it did not. The script is very fresh and witty and the castis excellent. Lots of laughs, especially between Zac Efron and hisnow-grown best buddy (Thomas Lennon), and between the buddy and thepretty high school principal (Melora Hardin from "The Office"). I wasimpressed with Zac Efron, whom I have only seen in HSM and felt he wasjust a pretty face, but the guy can act.There are a few minor problems, though, starting with the fact that thehandsome Efron looks not at all like the comparatively homely MatthewPerry. And they are supposedly the same guy. Sorry, but no amount oflife stress is going to make Efron's face look like Perry's. The nextproblem is that if the main characters (Perry and Leslie Mann) married20 years ago because she got pregnant, why are their kids no older than18?? I also had a problem with Hunter Parrish (the son from "Weeds")playing the proverbial bad boy/bully in the film -- despite thebleached blonde hair, he looks too similar to Efron and he is also nobad-ass, not in the least.OK, so overall, I would have to say this is a funny and entertainingmovie and definitely worth the time.

2012-05-05 02:25:23

GREAT Movie!!!

This review is from: 17 Again (DVD) My daughter asked for this movie for x-mas. I'm glad we bought it for her. It's a GREAT Movie!!

2012-05-04 17:01:00

Decent but unoriginal movie, Blu-ray/DVD combo has value

This movie is being pushed as all Zac Efron. Fortunately for Zac, he has a very good supporting cast that keep him from falling flat. The fact that this release comes with not only the Blu-ray edition, but a standard definition DVD and a digital copy adds to its value that may push it from being just a rental to worth purchasing.I didn't look at the latter two, since the Blu-ray version was all that I was interested in. The picture quality is very good, without any artifacts or edge enhancement problems to be found. The Dolby TrueHD audio track is also surprisingly good. Many times, comedies aren't good movies for getting decent sound, but when the movie calls for it, the subwoofer and the surround channels get a chance to perform.The extras aren't bad, but unless you're in love with Zac Efron and/or you just have to see more of the movie, no matter what, they're largely forgettable. The BD-Live extras aren't all that much better, except for the fact that this is the first WB title I've seen to contain a "My Commentary" segment, which was recorded by Thomas Lennon, Zac Efron, and Melora Hardin. It's actually funny to watch them rip on each other and recount the movie as it's playing.The movie itself is a Zac Efron vehicle. It features him on the cover, it calls him out in the corner of the packaging (Packed with Zac!), and even the extras highlight the fact that the screenplay was rewritten specifically for Zac Efron to play the lead. We've seen this kind of movie before, and its themes have been covered much better by those that preceded it, so then it falls onto the performances of the cast to make it better than mediocre. While Efron doesn't do a bad job, his supporting cast saves the movie from mediocrity. Thomas Lennon elevates every scene he's in, and the chemistry between Matthew Perry and Leslie Mann is very good as well.For most people, this might be a rental, but if you're on the fence, the extras make it worth the purchase. You can read more about this disc on The BigScreen Cinema Guide!

jhunt709 2012-05-02 05:04:09

A strong development for Efron's career...

Still riding on the undeniable success of the 'High School Musical'franchise, Zac Efron steps aside the musical genre to front comedy '17Again', in which he plays the younger counterpart of a moodythirty-something year old who spends his days regretting not followinghis own dreams as a teenager in order to stand by his pregnantgirlfriend. Mike O'Donnell, played by both Zac Efron and Matthew Perry(with an ability that credits them both as comic actors), is given thechance to change his life for the better when a strange accident leadsto his becoming a teenager once again.The surprise for this viewer with '17 Again' was that the content andtone of the film was in considerable contrast to how I originallyperceived the package; from the use of Disney's current poster boy tothe concept of the film itself, the movie on paper could read like anexercise in crowd-pleasing for the masses of Efron's female fans thatits release would be bound to attract. However, any fear of a squeakyclean ninety minutes quickly subsides when the reason for centralcharacter Mike O'Donnell's misery is revealed, alongside the emergenceof themes such as sexual relationships and family responsibility. Amongst the more clever aspects of the film was the wise use of Efron'sstar status. Efron shows off his body just enough to please hisadmirers, though not nearly enough to alienate viewers such as myselfwho aren't that way inclined towards him. He is quickly making a namefor himself as his acting chops are now giving him a reputation thatstands for something besides his image; those of the opinion that he isgood for nothing more than Disney television movies may be slowlyforced to change their minds. The nature of his character; a fatherliving amongst his children in a similar state of adolescence is alsotaken good advantage of in several key scenes where the younger MikeO'Donnell, still essentially an adult, tackles problems amongst thereal schoolchildren like only a father would. It is this slant onproceedings that keeps the film fresh, saving it from succumbing to itspredictable premise. Ultimately, '17 Again' plays like an enjoyable teen comedy, constantlyeither funny or sentimental with a witty script and hearty performancesfrom all involved. It is certainly a strong development for Efron'scareer, and thankfully it dulls his Disney sheen whilst strengtheninghis credibility as a family-friendly box office draw. Having seen thison the big and small screens, I certainly recommend it for home theatreviewing, though maybe not for families uncomfortable with facingtypical teenage content together.9/10

Nigel Andrews 2012-05-01 15:26:58

Check out 17 Again, an age-swap comedy co-starring Matthew Perry, only if you have daughters who will kill for a sight of heartthrob Zac Efron.

Jasleen Matharu 2012-04-30 04:16:04

It made me laugh to the Brim!

17 Again was nothing I expected. The trigger that made me actually goand watch it in the Cinema was the fact that the jokes shown on thetrailers were hilarious. The film was better.I was laughing so much, that I missed in between dialogue by some ofthe characters and it was the perfect film to help you unwind afterdoing a days worth of work or revision.When the opening scene started, I was so worried that the whole filmwas going to turn out as some kind of adaptation of high school musicaland there'd be a song every 15 minutes. But it wasn't the case.This Movie really proved that Efron is not an Amateur who just dancesand sings a lot. It proved he is a skilled Actor and his acting broughtback memories of Chandler in Friends. In some places, he seemed so muchlike Matthew Perry which is difficult to pull off for most Amateuractors.The only reason I didn't give this movie a 10 out of 10 is because somepeople I watched this movie with believed it had an 'abrupt ending' butI thought you can't have too much of a good thing.

2012-04-29 17:26:00

Hilarious and Cute

It's hard for a movie or tv show to keep my attention and I honestly thought this was going to be some stupid teenager flick because it had Zac Efron in it. I'm 25 and for some reason I wanted to see it. It's definitely not for teenagers, I don't think, as there are a lot of references to sex, but I'm not a parent so what do I know about what teenagers should be watching? Anyway, the story line is a modern day back to the future and it's quite funny. I felt that this movie had a lesson to be learned from it and that's, "When you're young everything feels like it's the end of the world", but also don't take your life for granted because unlike this movie, you can't go back and be 17 again....corny I know, but that's what made it enjoyable for me.

Sherazade 2012-04-29 09:06:04

You're a baby gazelle and I'm a hungry lioness....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! LOL! :-D

Zac Efron won me over with his role in 'Hairspray' (sorry the HighSchool Musical movies were just a little to cheesy for me to watch) andso I looked forward to seeing this and am glad that he did notdisappoint. I think we may have found the John Travolta of a new era(let's just hope he can keep it up). I am glad I waited for the DVDbecause I'm pretty sure I would have laughed the whole in theatres andmissed all the good jokes (as is, I had to watch it 3 times to trulyappreciate all the comedy).That said, I would like to use this writing space to address thenaysayers and whiners: If Zac Efron did not complain to the producers and director of thisfilm about having to shamelessly and extensively flirt with andeventually kiss Leslie Mann while playing a baby gazelle to MichelleTrachtenberg's cougar....um WHY SHOULD YOU? Yeah they're both olderthan him but so what? Get Over it people, I am sick of reading reviewafter review of people whining about him having to do his job (WHICH,LAST I CHECKED... IS ACT BY THE WAY). So what if both women are olderthan him in real life????? He is an actor, that's what actors do.

Chris Knipp 2012-04-28 22:43:06

Out of body, out of mind

Zac Efron has entered the body-change movie genre with '17 Again.'Wouldn't you like to return to high school as Zac? Well, maybe youwouldn't. Maybe even Zac wouldn't. By now he may really be just aboutdone with high school. The 22-year-old 'High School Musical' veteranhas expressed an understandable desire to work with serious directorsnow. He's got to break away from the 'HSM' mold somehow, and thisromantic comedy is a start. It isn't much of a start. But this vehiclehas the virtue as a new page in Mr. Efron's CV that without him itclearly would be nothing. You watch it for him, and the rest is dross.The thing is, he really is watchable, and for every female in theaudience, especially the younger ones, he's catnip. That tan skin; thatglittering smile; those sparkling blue eyes; that artfully tousledhair! He's a people-pleaser who can really please.Burr Steers's movie begins with Mike O'Donnell, now a dejected37-year-old man (played by Matthew Perry) who's being divorced by hishigh school sweetheart (Leslie Mann). It seems that twenty years agoMike was a high school senior just about to be picked for a basketballscholarship when he ran off the court to marry his pregnant girlfriend.The basketball scout crossed his name of the list. He never went tocollege and his life gradually left its zest. He makes good money butfeels humiliated at his job. He's lost interest in his marriage and hiswife has lost interest in him.But then, somehow or other, through a janitor who becomes his"spiritual guide," Mike is given the opportunity to drop twenty years,to re-enter his supple, handsome, hoop-dream body. Mike's pal Ned(Thomas Lennon) pretends to be his dad and takes him, now transformedinto Zac, to enroll in his old high school. It's a chance to go back tothat moment on the basketball court and do it differently--a theme thatblends elements of 'Back to the Future' and 'It's a Wonderful Life.'Needless to add that the body-change idea has been worked more notablyin movies like Big and Freaky Friday. But there's always a new body tochange into, and a new gimmick to go with it.This time the gimmick is that that the grownup Mike's two kids arestudents at the old high school now, and so the now 17-again Mike findsson Alex (Sterling Knight) is being mercilessly hazed and is abasketball talent but needs a push to join the team, while Maggie(Michelle Trachtenberg) is dating a predatory jock who cannot betrusted. Things turn tricky when both Scarlett (Leslie Mann, JuddApatow's wife in real life), the adult Mike's disgruntled spouse, whocould be his mother (how weird is that?) and Maggie, who's his daughterbut looks now like his sister (how weird is that?) both fall for theirresistible Zac--the now transformed Mike. Credit is due to writerJason Filardi and Steers for keeping this from becoming icky. Afterall, it is classic stuff from Shakespearean comedy, where disguisesmake characters fall in love with the wrong person. It's just thatincest isn't too funny.The challenge for Zac is ostensibly to communicate the presence of a37-year-old jaded husband and irate dad inside a 17-year-old. In theevent, his behavior just seems pretty odd at times, but he still neverstops being Zac. Luckily that works, because despite the blandness ofZac's "scrubbed young mannishness," as Interview aptly put it in arecent cover story, Zac is indeed "an entertainer in the mosttraditional sense of the word." He sings, he dances, he shoots hoops,he "winks at the girls and nods at the guys." He works the room (or thescreen), and you believe him: his charm is unflagging and reaches outto everybody. Even to you.There are, however, some non-Zac things in this movie that I just didnot get. Why is it that the adult Mike, Matthew Perry, is still around,and compares notes with the Zac-ed up Mike from time to time? How doesthat work, exactly? And what on earth is the point of the annoyingsubplot of Ned, who meets the principal when he goes in to enroll Zac,falls for her, dates her in series of embarrassing scenes and they turnout to be fellow 'Lord of the Rings' freaks (or something)? ThomasLennon's fey gaucherie left me completely cold and did not advance thebody-transformation story one iota.Another big question is how Burr Steers, who made the very sly anddarkly witty youth comedy 'Igby Goes Down,' wind up making something asbland and conventional as this? May both he and Zac do better nexttime. _