Thursday, Oct. 01, 2009
"17 Again"
Yes, you have seen it before. The concept of the parent going back to his/her teenage years to fix all the mistakes and undo all of the missteps only to realize that those mistakes and missteps are what make the person who they are. Oh, and don't forget how fun it can be to put a middle-aged person in a teenager's body. The script device that made movies such as "Freaky Friday," "Vice Versa" and "Like Father, like Son,'' is back for another spin in "17 Again." Add in Zac Efron, Disney's mega-hottie, and prepare for a cheese-fest. Well not so fast, this movie has a few loopholes in the cheese-factor. Matthew Perry does a great job, as usual, after making several creditable indie films. Judd Apatow's wife, Leslie Mann, turns in another awkwardly funny role as Perry's ex-wife. The biggest loophole is Tyler Steelman, of "Reno 911" fame, playing Perry's best friend since high school. As for Efron, he doesn't do a bad job either. He handles himself well, doubling as a young Perry, being a straight-man to Steelman's hilarious antics that feel like about 90 percent improv. Don't rent this thinking you are going to see something new done with the same old story. Rent it to see what good actors do when given the same old story.