RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / 17 Again
17 Again

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

17 Again (2009)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
58 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

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]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    Stop Staring At Me
    >
    What Did We Learn in School Today?
    >
    What Do You Know About Girls?
    >
1 - 4 of 4

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for 17 Again

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
81 - 100 (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
 
 

Zac Efron, looking cool, is movie enough for the makers of 17 Again, a halfhearted fantasy that stars Efron in a role cryogenically frozen around the time of C. Thomas Howell's '80s heyday.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
04/17/09
Michael Phillips
Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune

Parental Content Review

Full Review Source: Screen It! | comment Comment
04/17/09
Jim Judy
Jim Judy
Screen It!

If most of the summer fare is popcorn, consider 17 Again the cotton candy desert.

Full Review Source: BrandonFibbs.com | comment Comment
04/17/09
Brandon Fibbs
Brandon Fibbs
BrandonFibbs.com

17 Again is yet another teenage flick that is completely out of my demo and completely unoriginal but delivers great laughs and an overall fun experience.

Full Review Source: WJFK-FM (CBS Radio) | comment Comment
04/17/09
Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy
WJFK-FM (CBS Radio)

The filmmakers don't give their viewers credit for a minimum level of observation and, as a result, have produced a sloppy, lazy motion picture.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
04/17/09
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

Keeps people and things moving fast enough so that you don't have time to worry about the details, like the inanity of the story.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
04/17/09
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This timelessly universal wish-fulfillment tale unfolds with endearing tenderness and a light touch.

Full Review Source: SSG Syndicate | comment Comment
04/17/09
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
SSG Syndicate

I suppose I should be impressed that 17 Again turned out to be bad in a way I did not anticipate: it is awkward and creepy.

Full Review Source: Film Blather | comment 1 Comment
04/17/09
Eugene Novikov
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather

Efron is brilliant here, bursting with personality and showing a mastery of comic timing.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
04/17/09
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

A delightful, crowd-pleasing comedy radiating with a charismatic performance by Zac Efron. It's pure, undiluted fun.

Full Review Source: NYC Movie Guru | comment Comment
04/16/09
Avi Offer
Avi Offer
NYC Movie Guru

It's not going to blow your mind or change your world, but 17 Again has a heart, a brain and a funny bone.

Full Review Source: WaffleMovies.com | comment Comment
04/16/09
Willie Waffle
Willie Waffle
WaffleMovies.com

If you can't figure out what happens, you've never seen a movie. And if you haven't, please, God, don't start with this one.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
04/16/09
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone

The result is lumpy and irritating, but 17 Again regroups whenever Efron is back on screen.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
04/16/09
Tom Keogh
Tom Keogh
Seattle Times

Though not as clever as 13 Going on 30 or Freaky Friday, it's also not as hokey as Hannah. For a swoon-fest aimed at tweens, 17 Again has a lot going for it.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment 1 Comment
04/16/09
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today

Efron has no edge. And although that edgelessness might prolong his career, it keeps 17 Again from having anything surprising to say about teenage life in 2009.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
04/16/09
Dan Kois
Dan Kois
Washington Post

17 Again is product, loaded with high fructose corn syrup so the girls will like it, and as meaningful as an afternoon at the mall.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
04/16/09
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe

For me, 17 Again is mildly diverting. For the tweens who are its target audience, Efron's outside shot is a three-pointer.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
04/16/09
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer

You know those movies that look like they're going to be really insipid and then completely surprise you? 17 Again isn't one of those.

Full Review Source: CHUD | comment Comment
04/16/09
Devin Faraci
Devin Faraci
CHUD

Though Mann and Perry are game, it's Efron who carries the movie.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
04/16/09
Elizabeth Weitzman
Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News

You needn't be a Zac Efron fan to enjoy the appealing 17 Again.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
04/16/09
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
 
81 - 100 (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...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
24
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
26
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
22
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
42
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
156
  • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
56
  • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
14
  • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
  • Tron Legacy Duo Heading into The Black Hole Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Friday Harvest: The Road, Avatar, and more!
96
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
63
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
42
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
39
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
39
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
28
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
28
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
26
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
21
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
14
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
1
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
11
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
21
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • 17 Again at Rotten Tomatoes
  • 17 Again at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.