17 Again: A Lighthearted Must See!!!

17 Again director, Burr Steers, clearly felt that a man's life was not complete without a male equivalent to Freaky Friday - and how right he was. After thrilling many six year olds with the High School Musical franchise, Zac Efron has now set his sights on conquering the 12A certificate kingdom. Along with distinguished t.v. movie actor Matthew Perry and that old one who bitches to the pregnant one (Leslie Mann) in Knocked Up, they have produced one of the better lighthearted fantasy/adventure films to date.

The film sees Efron and Perry switch bodies after a meeting with a high school janitor goes all science fiction at the ol' town bridge. This enables Efron to experience high school (again and again and again) and find out where he went wrong with his wife before she settles for divorce. The film delves into important social issues such as milfs and whether near-romantic tomfoolery that borders on incest à la Back To The Future is still appropriate to a young audience.

The director seems to think so and this attempt to mend a broken relationship entwined with everyday school activities makes for an enjoyable film for the pre-teens. With Efron represented as a shining beacon of adolescent America in the film, the actor is all too keen to reveal his no sex stance in senior year. From this scene alone, the standard family outing to the cinema has turned into an attempt by movie producers to tell your kids to behave like Zac Efron!

Indeed the eye candy on show can now add dancing in front of wildcat cheerleaders to his resumé. Oh wait doesn't that sound familiar? And although the film's ending is completely predictable by about half way through ("spoiler"! the end sequence is a rehashing of the opening scene), 17 Again is rather enjoyable if you don't take it too seriously.

A bit too far???