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2024-05-22 03:11
admin1 17Againisoneofthosehalfandhalffilms--halfofitisgood,moral,andentertaining,andhalfofitisraunchy,matureinnature,andunnecessary.Theplotgoessomethinglikethis:Middle-agedMikeisunhappywithhislifeandabouttogetadivorcefromhiswife.Heandhiskidsarelikestrangerstoeachother,eventhoughhegenuinelycaresforthem.OnenightMikemysteriouslytransportstotheageof17inpresenttimes.Hedecides(withthehelpofhisMAJORsci-fifreakbestfriend)togobacktohighschoolandhelpputhiskidsontherightpath.SoMike(underthenameofMark)goesbacktoschoolandspendshistimelecturinghiskidsaboutwhotheyshoulddate,helpingthemontosportsteams,orromancingtheirmom(whoisalsohiswife). Someofthefunniestpartsarethemostawkwardones.TeenageMike/Markdancingwithhiswife(tohiswife,heisjustherson'sfriend)andbeingfoundbytheirson.Mike/Mark'sdaughterwantstostartarelationshipwiththeteenageMike/Mark,notknowingthatheisactuallyherdad.Whenhetellsherthattheycanneverbetogether,sheatfirstthinksthatheisgay.Thereisoneuseoftheb-wordandsomeothermildprofanities.Mike/Mark'sdaughterhasapompous,lustfulboyfriend.Mike'sbestfriendisseeninbed(fullyclothed)withtheschoolprincipal(attheendofthefilm,rightbeforethecredits). Iwassurprisedattheamountofgoodmessagesinthismovie.Mike(whenheisactually17inhighschoolsometimeinthe1980's)givesuphiscollegedreamstomarryhispregnantgirlfriend.Whenheisanadult,hestrivestospendtimewithhiskidsandshowsgenuineinterestintheirlives.Whenhegoesbacktotheageof17throughthewarpthing,hemakesithisgoaltohelphiskidsgettheirlivesontherighttrack.HespeaksaboutabstinencetotheentireHealthclass.Hedoeseverythinghecantogethisdaughter'smessed-upboyfriendawayfromher. Withoutthesexualjokesandovertones,thismoviewouldbegreatforkidsandteens.Unfortunately,thecrudehumorruinsit,evenifkidsdon'tunderstandallofthejokes.ZacEfronisathisbestinthisfilmandcapturesasensible,strugglingteenagedadverywell.Don'texpectittobeanyfunnierthanyouseeinthepreviews,though.Mostofthefunnypartsareinthepreviews.Overall,itwasanenjoyabletwohoursofrelivinghighschool. 2 heyguysimnatashaandiliveinnewzealandsowegottowatchthemovieonthe16th wellallicansayisthatthemoviewasAWESOME! bothZacEfronandMatthewPerrydidanawesomejob,thoughmatthewwasonlyinthemovieforabout5-10minsandgirlsgetreadytogottheshiversassoonasuseeZactransformintothecoolkid. thestorybasicallystartsoffshowingMike(zac)beingthemostpopularguyinschoolhesawesomeatbasketballandisabouttobeofferedabasketballscholarship,howeverjustbeforethebiggamestartshisgirlfriendScarlet(LeslieMann)tellszacthatsheisexpectingtheirchild,thisconfusesmikeduringthegameandhefinallyleavesthegameandrunsafterthegirlheloves.20yearslaterhislifeisatotaldisaster,withhiswifegivinghimadivorce,hiskidshatinghimmike(matthew)movesinwithhisbestfriendnedaselfmadebillionaire.Thensomethingchangesmikes'sworldhegoesbacktohisschoolandstaresathischampionshipphotoshetheremeetsajanitorwithwhomheshareshisthoughtsofgoingbacktohighschoolthejanitorsuddenlydissapearsandwhiledrivinghomemikeseeshimjumpingoffabridgewhilemikehurriestogosavehimhehimselffallsintotheriverandgetsturnedbackto17.Thenhilariouseventsstarthappeningwithalightsaberfighttoafightwithhisdaughtersboyfriend.Alsomikehelpshissonfindthegirlofhisdreamsandalsogetshimintothebasketballteam.Anawkwardsceneswaswheremaggie(michelle)hisdaughterwantstokisshimitsanawkwardmomentbutitwillsurelymakeulaugh. 3 Idon’tfullyunderstandthedesiretoreturntohighschool.Iactuallyenjoyedhighschool,butthatdoesn’tmeanthatIwanttore-livebeingateenager,it’sjustsoawkward.Butfilmswillcontinuetobemade,allwiththepremiseofreturningtothepasttochangesomething.17Againisnodifferent,althoughthemoderntwistonanoldstorydoesn’tmakeitasenjoyableasIremember. Webeginin1989withMikeO’Donnell(theyoungversionplayedbyZacEfron)shootinghoops,gettingreadyforthebiggamethatcouldgethimascholarshiptocollege.Whenhefindsoutthathishighschoolgirlfriendispregnant,hewalksoutofthegameandweflash-forwardtothepresent-dayMike(MatthewPerry).Nowhislifeisamess—nojobpromotion,onthevergeofadivorceandnorelationshipwithhiskids.PayinghomagetoIt’saWonderfulLife,Mikerunsintoanoldjanitorthatmagicallytransformshimintohis17-year-oldself.ItisthenuptoMiketofigureoutwhatheneedstodototransformback. Themodernhighschoolisshownasabreedinggroundfordisrespectful,sexuallyoveractiveteenagers.Nottosaythatthisisnotwhatallhighschoolsarelike,but17Againchoosesnottoshowanythingaboutgoingbacktohighschool.Mikedoesn’twanttorelivehighschooltochangehisfuture;insteadherealizesthatthisisthetimetoreconnectwithhiskidsandtosomehowwinhiswifeback. ItismosthumorouswhenyoungMikeinteractswithhiswife(LeslieMann).Sheswearsthathelookslikeherhusbandandtheflirtationthatplaysoutisalmostuncomfortablebutitworks.Also,forthoseZacEfronfansoutthere,heevendancesandplaysbasketballinthefilm.Idon’tknowifhewillevergrowoutofthisHighSchoolMusicalrole. Thefunofmovieslikethisistoseeourcharacterreactorinteractwithhisnewsurroundings.Thefilmfailstocapturetheheartofbeingateenager,onlymakingjokestohowfasttheirmetabolismisandhowtheycanexerciseeasily.AlthoughyoungMikedoeshaveaninsideviewintohiskid’slives,theirinteractionisverysterileandunbelievable.Hecoacheshisyoungestsonatbasketball,whilehestillgetstotakethegloryofbeingabetterplayerandhepreachestohisdaughteraboutmakingbadchoices.Ifhegetstobe17againtoconnectwithhiskids,therelationshipsseemforced. WhenMikefindshimselfbackwherehestarted,herealizesthathehadmadetherightchoices,hewasjustabsentfrommostofhislife.Nowhegetsthechancetopayattention.Mike’sinsidelookintothelivesofhiskid’sandwifeisaninterestingtwistonanoldidea.Butthefunofwatchingfilmslikethisismissingbecauseourleadactorisn’thavingfun.Thereisnouseinre-livinghighschoolforthat. 6 Ifyouwanttoillustratetheacidrainthat20yearscanpourdownontoahumanface,justshowZacEfronandthenmakeusbelievethatlifehasturnedhimintoMatthewPerry.Oh,thatbeautifulboy-oh,thatlumpy-facedman.Whathappened?Failureanddisappointment?Self-hatred?Grand-scalespiritualerror?We'rejustscratchingthesurfacehere.ForEfrontoturnintoPerryinameretwodecadeswouldrequiresomethingmoredrastic,likesittingdowneverymorningtoabreakfastofhot,steamingtoxicwaste. Yetwhatbetterwaytomakeusfeelit-thesheerreliefofgoingbackintime.In17Again,Mike(Perry)isawashed-uppharmaceuticalsalesmanwithanestrangedwifeandtwokidswhothinkhe'sanidiot.Butoneday,throughsomemoviemagic,hetransformsbackintothe17-year-oldheoncewas-abasketballstarwhocouldhavehadascholarshipifhehadn'tmarriedhispregnantgirlfriend. 17Againisavariationontheoldif-only-I-could-go-backfantasy.Inthisvariation,theherodoesn'tgoback.Nothingchanges,excepthisbody.He'syoung,he'shandsome,theworldisbeforehim...andyetinside,he'sstillmiddle-aged.Hecaresabouthiskids.He'sattractedtohiswife.17Againisn'tasophisticatedworkofart,norwasitintendedtobe.It'softensilly,sometimesfunsilly,sometimestoosilly.Yetinonearea-itshonest,unself-consciousexplorationoftheconflictbetweenaman'sphysicalandpsychologicalage-itgoesdeeperthanthemuchmoreambitiousTheCuriousCaseofBenjaminButton. ThecreditgoestoEfron,ateenidolwhohasgirlsshriekinginthetheaterfromhisfirstclose-upbutwhoisalsoanactorandprovesitoverthecourseofthepicture.HeconveysMike'sdualnature.ItwillcomeasnewstononeofhisyoungadmirersthatEfronhasgoodeyes,paleblueandpiercing.Hecanusethem,too,formorethancosmeticeffect.Hebringstotherolethesensitive,frettinggazeoftheconcernedparent-onewhofindshimselfinthesamehighschoolashisownkids. Themovie'slimitsarethelimitsoftheformula.There'sonlyoneway17Againcanberesolved,butdoingsorequiresashoehorn.Also,whydidMike'steenagedaughter(MichelleTrachtenberg)havetobepresentedassucharepellentbrat?IfyoubelieveHollywood,there'snoteenage-girlnastiness,ingratitudeormisbehaviorthatcan'tbeforgiven,evenwithoutanapology.That'sagreatmessagetobereinforcinginamoviethat'sgoingtobeseenbyevery14-year-oldgirlinAmerica.