17 Again

17 Again, also known as 17 For The Second Time (but that just doesn't have the same ring to it), is Zac Efron's latest movie and Matthew Perry's latest attempt at not being forgotten about. Seeing as Perry is only in the movie for about 10 minutes it would be a stretch to call it a Matthew Perry movie. It is also the movie in which Leslie Mann pretty much steals the show.

Basically, when Mike O'Donnell (Matthew Perry and Zac Efron) was about to play a really important 'the scouts are watching you' high school basketball game he got some shocking news from his girlfriend Scarlett. Jump many years into the future and we find Mike (Perry) married Scarlett (Mann) and they have two kids. Oh yeah, Mike hates his life. He meets a strange old man that doesn't seem to exist in the real world and then he falls into a crazy spinning water hole thing.

Next thing we know, Mike (Efron) is 17 again (Hey! That is the title of the movie.) A rather amusing fight occurs between Mike and his friend Ted...Ted, who owns an insane amount of movie memorabilia (mostly Star Wars and Lord of the Rings). The two come to the conclusion that the old man was his spirit guide and the only way Efron can go back to being Perry is to set things right...which he later decides will be accomplished by helping his children Alex and Maggie.

Mike makes friends with his son by helping him with his basketball game, helping him get on the team, and helping him have courage to talk to the girl that he likes (head cheerleader). Winning his daughter's friendship is a little more difficult, but essentially he tries to get her to realize that her boyfriend is an ass.

In the process of becoming friends with his children, Mike also builds a new relationship with Scarlett. A very awkward and yet hilarious relationship. Some of the best moments in the movie are definitely between Efron and Mann.

Before I get to spoiling the ending, the humourous B plot in the movie is the relationship between Mike's friend Ned and the principal from the school (Jan from The Office). Ned tries many tactics to win her affection (mostly by buying stuff) but she is having none of it. He finally convinces her to go out to supper with him and he is trying to be all fancy and impressive but he is just a huge dork so it is not working. Ned tries to explain that he is just a dork and makes a reference to LOTR. Jan corrects his reference and the cheesing 'falling for each other' music begins. They start speaking Elvish to each other (which the moving mistakenly calls Elfish) and you know they are meant to be. They are pretty great together in their scenes.

On to the end of the movie...which is rather predictable yet still enjoyable.

Mike is due in divorce court, but he has not changed back yet so young Mike and Ned show up to read a letter. By this time Scarlett is already thinking that Efron is somehow Perry. As he reads the letter, Scarlett is clearly touched by it and asks for a delay in the proceedings. She looks at the piece of paper the letter was on and it is just a note she had written...this is confusing to her.

At the basketball game, Mike gets a chance to relive the game he walked out on so many years ago. Just as the game starts, Scarlett realizes that Efron is most definitely her husband and runs out. Efron follows her and turns back into Perry. They kiss and all is well. We then see that Mike is the new coach of the basketball team and that Ned and the principal are still together...and wearing elf ears in bed. Lovely.

Funniest nerd joke of the movie:
Principal: You can plunder my dungeon any day.
Ned: I'll bring the long bow.

17 Again is a pretty wonderful movie. It has a lot of laughs in it a well as some depth when it came to the story. I really enjoyed Zac Efron (and in case you are wondering I am not a High School Musical fan). The only thing that really made me wonder about this movie was, will Michelle Trachtenberg ever age? I mean Buffy had to be about 10 years ago and she looks exactly the same. Also, when they showed the actors' pictures from their youth hers looked like a current shot. What up with her?

17 Again gets three kernels - it will make you laugh for many reasons and the actors are all quite enjoyable. While the story has been done to a certain extent (13 Going On 20) it still seems like a pretty original plot.