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Movies / On DVD / 17 Again
17 Again

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17 Again (2009)

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Reviews Counted:135

Fresh:78

Rotten:57

Average Rating:5.5/10

Consensus: Though it uses a well-worn formula, 17 Again has just enough Zac Efron charm to result in a harmless, pleasurable teen comedy.

Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for language, some sexual material and teen partying.

Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:10-04-2009

Synopsis: What would you do if you got a second shot at life? Class of 1989, Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron) is a star on the high school basketball court with a college scout in the stands and a bright future... What would you do if you got a second shot at life?

Class of 1989, Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron) is a star on the high school basketball court with a college scout in the stands and a bright future in his grasp. But instead, he decides to throw it all away to share his life with his girlfriend Scarlet and the baby he just learned they are expecting.

Almost 20 years later, Mike's (Matthew Perry) glory days are decidedly behind him. His marriage to Scarlet (Leslie Mann) has fallen apart, he has been passed over for a promotion at work, his teenage kids think he is a loser, and he has been reduced to crashing with his high school nerd-turned-techno-billionaire best friend Ned (Thomas Lennon).

But Mike is given another chance when he is miraculously transformed back to the age of 17. Unfortunately, Mike may look 17 again, but his thirtysomething outlook is totally uncool among the class of 2009.

And in trying to recapture his best years, Mike could lose the best things that ever happened to him.

New Line Cinema Presents An Offspring Entertainment production, 17 Again, starring Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Michelle Trachtenberg, Sterling Knight, Melora Hardin and Matthew Perry.

The film is directed by Burr Steers from a screenplay by Jason Filardi. The producers are Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot. Toby Emmerich, Mark Kaufman, Keith Goldberg and Jason Barrett are the executive producers, with Dara Weintraub serving as co-producer.

The behind-the-scenes creative team is led by director of photography Tim Suhrstedt, production designer Garreth Stover, editor Padraic McKinley and costume designer Pamela Withers Chilton. The music is composed and conducted by Rolfe Kent, and the music supervisor is Buck Damon.

17 Again will be distributed domestically by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. --© Warner Bros [More]

Starring: Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon

Starring: Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Michelle Trachtenberg, Sterling Knight, Melora Hardin

Director: Burr Steers

Director: Burr Steers
Screenwriter: Jason Filardi
Producer: Adam Shankman, Jennifer Gibgot
Composer: Rolfe Kent
Studio: New Line Cinema

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for 17 Again

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61 - 80 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

It’s an entertaining showcase for its star, and that’s all it really needs to be.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
04/17/09
Loey Lockerby
Loey Lockerby
Kansas City Star

Efron, frankly, lacks the comic agility required for a role this nimble; he's as elastic as hard plastic.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment 2 Comments
04/17/09
Kevin Williamson
Kevin Williamson
Jam! Movies

Wholesome just isn't as wholesome as it used to be.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
04/17/09
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail

17 Again makes the '80s comedies on which it's modeled seem positively cutting-edge by comparison.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment 1 Comment
04/17/09
Lou Lumenick
Lou Lumenick
New York Post

Despite occasional misfires, this Zac Efron comedy earns its laughs and delivers its life lessons.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
04/17/09
Kirk Honeycutt
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I found him a sympathetic, and strangely believable, middle-aged dad.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
04/17/09
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle

Can't we just watch Freaky Friday again? Really, I'd take either version at this point.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
04/17/09
Stephen Whitty
Stephen Whitty
Newark Star-Ledger

Follows the same tired, well-worn path as other comedies in the same genre, but gets a boost from Zac Efron and Leslie Mann.

Full Review Source: Cinematical | comment Comment
04/17/09
Jette Kernion
Jette Kernion
Cinematical

It could be better, it could be worse.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
04/17/09
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News

17 Again takes a while to get cooking, and at times it just feels like a pale imitation of 13 Going on 30. Still, it's often breezily entertaining, partly thanks to Efron, who certainly knows how to be cute.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
04/17/09
Stephanie Zacharek
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com

If you're looking for the performance that might one day be characterized as Efron's embarrassing breakout role, this is a good bet.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
04/17/09
Lisa Kennedy
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post

17 Again isn't a sophisticated work of art, nor was it intended to be. It's often silly, sometimes fun silly, sometimes too silly.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
04/17/09
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle

Not only avoids shooting itself in the foot, but occasionally makes the dodging look like dancing -- and Thomas Lennon steals the film.

Full Review Source: Redbox | comment Comment
04/17/09
James Rocchi
James Rocchi
Redbox

Zac Efron, a man in need of a slightly better movie.

Full Review Source: MTV | comment Comment
04/17/09
Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder
MTV

It's as if 17 Again were conceived as a batch of three-minutes sketches. Some of them are fine, many are awful, and they don't hang together at all because the movie is so plastic and phony and willing to sell out its characters for the sake of a laugh.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
04/17/09
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

You've seen it done better.

Full Review Source: Baltimore Sun | comment Comment
04/17/09
Chris Kaltenbach
Chris Kaltenbach
Baltimore Sun

Zac Efron shoots and scores in 17 Again which puts its own hilarious and heartwarming spin on a familiar premise and makes it work effortlessly.

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
04/17/09
Pete Hammond
Pete Hammond
Hollywood.com

The movie manages to glide along engagingly and swiftly.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
04/17/09
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

17 Again makes Xeroxes look original.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
04/17/09
Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Toronto Star

Many have wondered how they might live certain parts of their lives over again. 17 Again offers its own fantasy%u2014that you wouldn't want to change a thing, even if you could.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
04/17/09
Lisa Ann Cockrel
Lisa Ann Cockrel
Christianity Today
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
all

Latest News for 17 Again

August 10, 2009: RT on DVD: A Sweet I Love You, Man Deleted Scene, Zooey Deschanel's Latest, and More
You're in for some sweet, sweet movie watching this week, starting with the latest in bromantic comedies (I Love You, Man, starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel). Those with a High... More...

April 20, 2009: Tune In to the Rotten Tomatoes Show This Week!
This week, The Rotten Tomatoes Show will be looking at the movies that opened over the weekend, with help from you (the Rotten Tomatoes community), the Current TV community, and... More...

April 20, 2009: Zac Efron enjoys breakout role in Hollywood's latest time-travel adventure. Opens in new window
More...

April 19, 2009: Box Office Wrapup: Zac Attacks #1 Spot with 17 Again
This weekend Zac Efron scored his second number one opener in six months as his non-musical high school comedy 17 Again debuted powerfully in the top spot to lead the North... More...

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