17 Again

Mike (Matthew Perry) is in his mid-30s with tons of problems. With no promotions in his career, strained marriage and losing touch with his children he wonders if he can get back to his college days and turn his life around again.

To his amazement he turns 17 again after meeting a mysterious man. Mike is a teen again, but not back to where he and his friends were all young. He is the only one transformed, to observe and change the course of his life. The plot is a reversal of ‘13 Going on 30’ and quite predictable. However, there is fine acting from the cast.  Efron (of ‘High School Musical’ fame) to beat the monotony. As the young Mike, Efron shows he’s got the moves. You’ll love to see how a teenaged Mike handles his own daughter’s (who is not aware of her dad’s transformation) advances when he attends her college and helps her cope with her break-up. Mathew Perry (of ‘Friends’ fame) is finally back on the big screen but has nothing much to do as the married Mike.

The screenplay is somewhat a class in its own and with the ‘High School Musical’ star in the film it’s enough to set the teenagers’ eyeballs rolling. ‘17 Again’, despite some good acting lacks the punchline with tattered jokes here and there. If you can lower your expectations you might just love it.