I got 17 Again mainly because my 12 year old daughter is a major High School Musical freak who thinks the moon rises and sets by Zac Efron (as do most adolescent girls). The fact that it has Matthew Perry in it, who was always my favorite character from the TV series “Friends” made it seem like it might be fun, but I wasn’t really expecting anything spectacular.

I mean, come on, how many times has a variation on this theme been done?
Let’s see, there’s 18 Again, Freaky Friday, Vice Versa, Big, and kinda/sorta It’s a Wonderful Life.

So really what I was expecting was the same story with just the current hottie. In a way that is exactly what this is. However between the script and the cast (especially the cast) they have managed to bring new life to this oft-played theme. They even make fun of the fact that this theme is seen “time and time again. It’s a classic transformation story.”

I will admit that I was probably also drawn in a bit by the fact that I just got through planning and executing (yes, I used that word intentionally) my 20 year high school reunion. So this movie felt a little relevant to me. I wouldn’t mind going back to high school myself and doing a few things over. (sigh) Oh, yeah, back to the movie!

Mike O’Donnell (Matthew Perry) is a man approaching his 40s whose wife has just kicked him out and whose kids want nothing to do with him. The only person he has left to depend on is his lifelong best friend, Ned (Thomas Lennon) who during high school was the school nerd but is now a computer programmer, multimillionaire. Since Mike is homeless, Ned is letting him crash at his extreme fanboy pad. If you are a Star Wars or The Lord of The Rings fan – be prepared to drool.

All Mike can think of is that his life was better in high school, and had he made different decisions his life would be better. Through a twist of fate (and a really badly done special effect) Mike is returned not to the past, but to his former 17 year old self (Zac Efron).

When Mike arrives back at Ned’s place what follows is one of the most hilarious scenes I have ever watched. I think it might even be able to compete with the cow scene from Rat Race.

The 2 things that really make this movie work are: Zac Efron and Thomas Lennon.

I was worried that Zac Efron was going to come off as his usual Disney, song-and-dance smiley self. This is cute, but wasn’t going to work in a “real” film. I did not need to worry. This boy has the goods as well as the looks. I kept watching him play his part and say things and move certain ways and I’d get this sense of déjà vu. It finally hit me why. He was moving and speaking exactly the way I was used to seeing Matthew Perry act as Chandler. Even some of the expressions were the same. While I was researching I found out why. Efron actually called Perry up and studied with him for about 2 weeks in order to see how he would act during certain scenes. It worked.

But the best part for me and the thing that has me watching this movie over and over again is Thomas Lennon who plays the best friend Ned.

Now, I am not a Comedy Central fan. In fact I detest most shows on there. I detest most commercials on there, so I have never seen “Reno 911!” Which means I was not familiar with Lennon before this movie. He was a wonderful surprise and nearly ran away with the show.

For instance, when Mike and Ned are trying to figure out what happened to turn Mike back 20 years:
Ned: Are you now or have you ever been a Norse God, Vampire, or Time Traveling Cyborg?
Mike: I have know you since what, first grade? I think that maybe I would have told you!
Ned: Vampire wouldn't tell, Cyborg wouldn't know.

Yes, the lines are funny – but it is the way he delivers them. Then there is Ned’s endless pursuit of the female principal at the high school who has a policy of not dating her student’s parents. Of course Ned is only pretending to be Mike’s dad, so there is really no problem, but she doesn’t know this. The fact that he is ridiculously rich and fantastically eccentric leads to some interesting gifts and romantic gestures.

Add in 17 year old Mike trying to woo back his wife (who’s trying not to get arrested for statutory rape), the fact that his daughter winds up with a crush on him (Ooooooh!) and he becomes best friends with his son and helps him score with the head cheerleader (well, not score – just kiss).

This movie goes to all those places that the other movies were scared to touch. It may leave you squirming at times, but that is part of the fun, because you just keep waiting to see how Mike (and Ned) are going to get out of it this time.

17 Again is rated PG-13 for language, some sexual material and teen partying. It was actually a little more adult than I had realized to begin with. It is definitely not for the same audience as “High School Musical”.