Mike O'Donnell's life has not turned out as he planned; he is going no-where in his job, is in the midst of a heart-breaking divorce and has become completely disconnected from his children. He dreams about the days when he was a high school jock with the whole world at his feet...... a time when he was about to be signed as a professional basket-ball star and had the looks and life that others longed for. At 17 he threw it away for the love of Scarlet, his now ex wife, but after some magical intervention he gets to be re-born as his 17 year old self and live his life the way he wants. But when he discovers that his children are having a hard time at school and the things he wanted are not all that they seem, he is forced to re-evaluate his views on family, values and the past.
17 Again follows the well worn formulae of countless other body-swap comedies.... and whilst it doesn't match the genre high of Tom Hank's classic Big or the surprising charm offensive that was Jennifer Garner's 13 Going On 30 it stands its own as a sweet, funny and heartfelt story about growing up, respecting those close to you and the power of the past. It manages to tap into a universal nostalgia which lends it a poignancy which it perhaps does not deserve and the whole thing is ably bolstered by a talented and energetic cast. Sadly, it never does anything particularly surprising and it is clearly an exercise in making Zac Efron a truly bankable Hollywood leading man but thanks to a few directorial flourishes and a nicely judged screenplay it actually (well kind of) works. And there are definitely worse things that your kids could drag you to see.....
One of the reasons that this genre is so popular is the fact that it opens up plenty of opportunity for both great physical comedy and wistful poignancy, a mix which if done right is particularly compelling. And here they almost manage to pull it off, with the screenplay showing heaps of potential, but just falling short. Jason Filardi writes with a certain amount of grace and wit and does a good job of bringing some true emotion to the proceedings with a few nicely written snippets of dialogue and a particularly affecting Court-room sequence. But in his attempts to rush to some sort of happy ending he spreads the story too thinly; the conclusion feels rushed and tacked on and by trying to appeal to all demographics he neglects any sort of quirk or edge that would have truly made it stand out. It is funny in fits and starts (although mirth doesn't appear to be its main aim) but anything truly enjoyable is masked by its obvious, and at times, bizarre insistence on hammering home the message of sexual abstinence. At every opportunity Filardi throws in some preaching about the joy of 'waiting', at one point dedicating a whole monologue to it, and it just comes across as ridiculous rather than convincing.
The script does a decent job of handling the dynamic between teenage Mike and adult Scarlett, with a few touching/romantic sequences that manage to be charming rather than inappropriate and there are a few moments when the writing transcends the constraints of the genre. Burr Steers, perhaps best known for writing How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days and Igy Goes Down, does a fair job of bringing the screenplay to life. He tries to inject some style into the proceedings; the film looks very good for what is essentially a teen flick, and is clever enough to give the stories central themes of regret and lost dreams enough time and energy to be engaging. He directs with enough panache to keep things exciting, with a lot of changing camera angles and set pieces, but also brings some subtlety and charm to the film's romantic sequences. He actually carries the film over the plot-holes rather ably (the doubtful premise doesn't seem half as ridiculous as it actually is) and he rouses good performances from his entire cast.
One of the strengths of 17 Again is, surprisingly, Zac Efron's smooth and lively portrayal of the teenage Mike O'Donnell; he brings a real excitement to the role and offers enough gusto to make the films more dubious plot twists run by smoothly. He is just active enough to stop the film from grinding to a halt, but isn't too frantic to become annoying (a balancing act which he, sadly, did not achieve in some the earlier High School Musicals). He is also very good in the films sadder scenes where he shows some of the vulnerability of the character and reflects at least some of the heart-break that runs throughout the story, but not too much as to crease his forehead or make us think of him as a baby. And therein lies the problem, he is too choreographed to be genuinely likable; when Hanks did this twenty years ago he brought bundles of goofiness and Garner shed her kick-ass image with such wild abandon that it was almost impossible not to fall in love with her. Efron is too guarded, but he is a very engaging and effective core to the film.
Leslie Mann is perfectly cast as Mike's wife Scarlett; she is extremely attractive, manages to bring a lot of comedy to her potentially dull role and carries the film's most emotional scenes with her mix of humour and vulnerability. She manages to be believable as a mother and a wounded wife and perfectly portrays the conflicting emotions that her character feels towards teenage Mike. She has a great chemistry with Efron, which is fun, exciting and perhaps the best thing about the whole film, and really brings an emotional grounding to the whole production. Matthew Perry puts in a game performance as adult Mike; he is typically funny and sarcastic and brings a nice weather beaten energy to the film (although the girls I took to see it were highly upset at the prospect of Efron looking like him at 37... )
17 Again seems to work at times in spite of the screenplay, direction and acting rather than because of it. It possesses a kind of shabby, dog-eared charm, which garners more good-will from the audience than it really should. Everyone involved just seems to be working so hard to please the viewer that it is hard not to be at least a little caught up in the bizarre story which is firmly based in a High School world that everybody knows doesn't actually exists. There are moments where it appears to reach for some sort of teenage rom-com nirvana but it seem to constantly fall short of true silly greatness. It certainly isn't perfect but it is witty and silly and, eventually, touching enough to be worth the price of admission.