The summer movie blitz begins today — well at least in my book it does. X-Men Origins opens today with Star Trek to follow next week, which can only mean that the blockbuster season is upon us. Rather than fall behind early on, I decided to go see 17 Again today before the action onslaught begins.
Funny thing is, I went alone— something that is both liberating and embarrassing at the same time. The movie was a bit below my expectations only because I compared it to the fabulous '80s flick, Big. But overall, I enjoyed it: Matthew Perry and Leslie Mann are always fun to watch and Zac Efron's acting was actually decent. He was able to channel some of Perry's mannerisms/quirks (although I'd have loved a "Could I be any younger?" a la Chandler Bing) while adopting a more mature persona than he has portrayed in the past. And yes, of course, he did dribble and dance, but the High School Musical-esque beginning ends quickly when Efron's character finds out he's going to be a father at the tender age of 17. Imagine Troy and Gabriella having to deal with that one. Break-dancing in the OR?
But the problems of 17 Again lie in the script, not the acting or the overall story. Many of the jokes and comedic scenes are forced down the audience's throat to the point that you dread the funny parts. The best friend/sidekick, played by Thomas Lennon, is a super-geek — his bed is a hovercraft and he's fluent in Elvish — yet he's rarely funny. Also, while the film begins and ends as a love story, it seems to lose its focus somewhere in the middle by perusing too many fluff scenes that don't take the plot anywhere.
Bottom line: I went to see 17 Again mostly because the idea of Matthew Perry's personality in Zac Efron's body might just create the perfect guy. It wasn't as funny as I'd expected, but it was quite cute.
J&S Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
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