17 AGAIN..1.0*** Deja Boo: “17 Again”…NO, never again…you couldn’t pay me to see this awful movie a second time. It is a shameful take-off on the “body-swap”/ “time-travel” themes that have been so well done in some very fine movies such as “Big”, “Peggy Sue Got Married”, “Freaky Friday” and “Back to the Future”. Historically, films like this have been better (and funnier) when the tables are turned and it's the kid finding himself or herself in a older body or when there is the time travel element, neither of which occur in this film.
So, how did I get snookered into going to see this?? Well, the premise sounded interesting: 35 year old Mike O'Donnell (Matthew Perry), who has always been unhappy with his after high school life, gets his wish and becomes his 17-year-old self (Zac Efron), but he doesn't actually go back in time to the days when he was 17. Instead, he becomes his former 17 year old self in the same current time era (2009) with all his 35 years’ of memories and everyone else remains the same….his wife is still 35… and his daughter, 17, and son, 15, and they are in the same high school that he returns to. Another allure was Matthew Perry ( TV’s “Friends”) and Zac Efron ( of the super popular “High School Musical” franchise).
Well it was the classic “bait and switch” come-on and the movie ended up falling on its face and its derriere…it was neither funny nor endearing....in fact it was awkward and creepy . The truth is, at times it got so uncomfortable( you’ll know the moments when they occur..I won’t give them away.), I wanted to leave. This is an unpleasant little “body swap” comedy that will make you groan at times but seldom laugh.
Who is to blame ??? Chiefly the writer (Jason Filardi) who is worst than sophomoric here…his story is contrived, uncomfortable and just plain dumb.. Also to blame is the director (Burr Steers) for not doing something about the script as well as the actors for not being savvy enough to run like hell from the script.
Do yourself a big favor and skip this one and use your money instead to rent one of the good ones referred to above and you’ll have a much more enjoyable time.

Clark