I think that whenever someone mentions the name Zac Efron, people’s minds immediately go to thoughts of “High School Musical.” Mine does, and I will only openly admit to having viewed one of the films in completion.
So when I decided to see Mr. Efron in his latest cinematic endeavor “17 Again,” I had prepared myself for a movie similar to his previous roles where he was a big-shot high school kid with little to no problems, therefore little to no drama in the movie. And OK, I was right, but only a little. In the first 10 minutes of the movie, Efron’s character is playing basketball, is dancing and is the school hot shot. But that is where the similarities to his previous work ends and my worries for a repeat performance also came to an end.
In the movie, Efron plays the character of Mike O’Donnell, who, in the prime of his high school career in 1989, has his dreams of college and basketball stardom dashed when his girlfriend reveals she’s pregnant and Mike makes the decision to choose her over everything else. Seventeen-plus years later, Mike, now played by Matthew Perry, of “Friends,” finds himself a little less svelte basketball player and a little more thick-bodied clueless father of two, living with his wealthy nerdy best friend Ned, played by “Reno 911” star Thomas Lennon, and on the verge of a divorce. Unable to connect with his teenage kids and quickly watching his marriage crumble due to his bitterness about his decision years earlier, adult Mike desperately wishes to return to a simpler time when he was 17 and had the whole world in front of him. Here is where the movie quickly becomes a little mixture of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Big” as Mike expresses these desires to the janitor of his old high school as he waits to pick up his kids. Hours later, Mike finds the same janitor about to leap off of a bridge and in the process of trying to save him, falls into the somewhat cliché magical de-aging waters below.
Here is when Matthew Perry makes his exit and Zac Efron once more returns to the screen as Mike exits the waters as his 17-year-old self. The rest of the story basically consists of two main storylines. The first being Efron, as the newly de-aged Mike, deciding to use his new form as a way to relive the glory days of high school while also helping his two children deal with their current issues including bullying and a no-good boyfriend. While cliché, somehow it works.
Mike also attempts to use his new form to figure out a way to save his marriage. The second, more comical storyline, comes in the form of Ned attempting to woo the principal at the high school as he poses as Mike’s father. While Efron’s storyline brings a surprising mixture of drama and comedy, Lennon’s storyline is obviously just for humor. His character is rather endearing and you root for him to get the girl the entire film.
Once again, this is where the comparison of Efron’s prior work can end as well. I was surprised to see him easily break out of the “Disney acting” and prove that he can handle a lead role with ease. He easily separates himself from the simplicities of Troy Bolton and draws viewers into the complexities of a character that shows more maturity than his previous roles have allowed.
It’s almost weird to watch him play the endearing father to actors who are his own age, but Efron makes it believable. One scene in particular stood out to me as I watched the movie, and also the scene that made me realize that Efron could very well escape the “Disney Curse.” Toward the end of the movie Mike, realizing that he’s no closer to saving his marriage tries one final time to salvage things.
Still in teenage form, Mike rushes to the divorce proceedings and reads a letter from his adult self to his wife Scarlett in hopes of convincing her to give their marriage another chance but by the letter’s end, it becomes obvious that Mike isn’t trying to convince her to give their marriage another shot; instead he’s telling his wife that he loves her enough to realize he has to let her go. I was actually rather blown away to see the emotion coming from Efron in this performance as his character recounts all the reasons his marriage means so much to him and why it’s become so obvious that they’re better off without him. And I won’t lie, it actually moved me to get a little misty-eyed.
I willingly went into this movie expecting a throw-away teen movie with little substance and no plot for the purpose of mindless entertainment. I was surprised to discover that I was entertained by more than just Efron’s pretty face. This movie did have it’s cliché moments and the storyline was predictable, but that never once took away from the entertainment factor. The acting was great, the comedic scenes had me laughing out loud nearly every time, and I found that the storyline tugged at my heartstrings just enough to move me. I really do believe that this movie has easily shown that if Efron makes the right decisions, his career can go the way of former Disney kid Shia Lebeouf. This movie is both endearing and entertaining and well worth the $8 viewers will have to fork over to see it. The movie will leave you with a smile on your face as you leave the theater.

Author