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
 
 
101 - 120 (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
 
 

Has enough fresh charm to make up for the lack of originality.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
04/16/09
Cathy Jakicic
Cathy Jakicic
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Afraid that pubescent shrieking and swooning will drown out critical plot points of this zany body-swap flick? No worries! 17 Again is essentially a flipbook of Zac Efron pictures with some sound thrown over it.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
04/16/09
N.V. Cooper
N.V. Cooper
E! Online

Among others, this comic fantasy borrows from 13 Going on 30, Big and even It's a Wonderful Life. But it also has some charm to it as well.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
04/16/09
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

With plenty of help from a fine supporting cast, Efron deftly handles the fish-out-of-water hijinks and slips through more icky May-September romantic entanglements than an average season of Friday Night Lights.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
04/16/09
Scott Tobias
Scott Tobias
AV Club

Zac Efron is a good looking kid who exudes a sweetness and a talent for comic timing. This film rests squarely on his shoulders and he proves capable of carrying it.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
04/16/09
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

It's easy to dismiss 17 Again as well-worn teenybopper fluff, but there's a shocking level of maturity here

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
04/16/09
Blake French
Blake French
Filmcritic.com

Grafting together pieces of Big, Freaky Friday and Peggy Sue Got Married, among many others, "17 Again" hits the usual plot beats. If only any of this were funny.

Full Review Source: MSNBC | comment Comment
04/16/09
Alonso Duralde
Alonso Duralde
MSNBC

It's more entertaining than it has any right to be, and I don't think I'm just saying that because I was mesmerized by Zac Efron's abs.

Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com | comment 1 Comment
04/16/09
Katey Rich
Katey Rich
CinemaBlend.com

A high school fantasy where few classes are taken, tests are a figment of one's imagination, and the students, all of them stock exaggerations, roam the hallways without a thought in their puny minds.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment 2 Comments
04/16/09
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

The movie manages a few good jokes about inappropriate flirtations, but it never addresses the bigger questions of why the marriage went wrong or what Mike is supposed to be doing about it.

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
04/16/09
Joe Williams
Joe Williams
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

17 Again puts Disney commodity Zac Efron into a recycled Freaky Friday plot and ends up with a surprisingly un-awful 'tween comedy.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
04/16/09
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

Funny and lively, with a healthy dollop of sentimentality, it reassures us that all is not lost, except maybe our six-pack abs, as we descend into schlubby, dissatisfied middle age.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
04/16/09
Connie Ogle
Connie Ogle
Miami Herald

The ancient body-switching premise is animated by a breezy script that briefly addresses some of its darker implications before returning to a celebration of adolescence.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
04/16/09
Andrea Gronvall
Andrea Gronvall
Chicago Reader

17 Again is pleasant, harmless PG-13 entertainment, with a plot a little more surprising and acting a little better than I expected.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
04/16/09
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Efron, as a teen with the brain of a father, ably carries this featherweight movie.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
04/16/09
Rafer Guzman
Rafer Guzman
Newsday

The picture charms easily and makes a decent pass at a heart. Considering the director and the iffy premise, I think the idea of 17 Again being anything other than migraine-inducing is worth a few minutes of applause and smiley reflection.

Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com | comment Comment
04/16/09
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
BrianOrndorf.com

Forget being too old--Zac Efron is just too good for this.

Full Review Source: Metromix.com | comment Comment
04/16/09
Matt Pais
Matt Pais
Metromix.com

There’s evidence that the young heartthrob might make a decent leading man if only he’d apply himself.

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
04/16/09
Ben Kenigsberg
Ben Kenigsberg
Time Out New York

A zany comedy about the unpredictable and tricky nature of love.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
04/15/09
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

A slack do-over fantasy in which Zac Efron, as a basketball star, looks baffled as to why he hasn't been asked to sing and dance.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
04/15/09
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
 
 
101 - 120 (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
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
39
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
38
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
28
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
23
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
21
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
21
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
12
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "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
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

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.