17 Again

2009  PG-13  COMEDY  1h 45min

CAST— Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Michelle Trachtenberg, Matthew Perry

MUSIC— Rolfe Kent  DIRECTOR— Burr Steers

     Ah, those teenage years! If only we could revisit those glory days. Well, Matthew Perry has the chance to do that. With his life falling down around him he wishes that he could have lived up to his potential. When he gets sucked into a mysterious vortex he reemerges as his teenage self, played by Zac Efron. His dorky best friend (played by scene stealer Thomas Lennon) helps him to realize that this is his second chance to make right. But how? He soon sees that his children, now teenagers, as well, and his wife are not the image of stability either. As the new kid on the block he begins to mend his broken relationships, all while trying to pass as a normal teen. It isn’t easy being a man-child. Taking a familiar formula, as seen in many films of the past (Freaky Friday [1977], 18 Again! [1988]), this teen comedy follows a predictable pattern. Best suited to kids who’ve never seen these earlier pictures.

OUR RATING— ** ½