17 Again 2009

"I think our hands just made a baby."

I enjoyed watching this film. I could be wrong about this, but this seems like a film that could be considered iconic, maybe even when it came out. It gives off that vibe.

The premise was interesting, something I've never seen before. I don't know how common it is, as there are LOADS of films out there. So, for all I know, it could be super common. Before this film came out. But I have no idea. If this kind of premise is super common, I'd imagine that could've been a somewhat "negative" thing for some people. For me, it wasn't a problem. It was an exciting way to conduct the plot of the film.

As far as what stemmed from the premise, it paved the way for some memorable scenes/moments that added a lot to the film, and I appreciate that. I don't seem to have much of an opinion on whether the comedy was good or not, only that everything happening was entertaining.

And the underlying serious, heartfelt nature behind the plot was good. While the goofiness of being 17 Again was great, entertaining, and all of that, I thought the meaningful purpose that those things revolved around, and came back to, was even better.

I will say this: the subplot with Ned and the Principal was a tad bit problematic. The inappropriateness, the intrusions, and constant pursuit were probably problematic. I can imagine it stuck out to some people who didn't like it, even more so: since it succeeded. It's setting the wrong precedent. I get it: it's for the humor and not to be taken seriously. I don't know. I'm not a woman, so that could mean I'm adding 2 + 2 and getting 5.

Not only that, some slight incest actions were going on as well. And, to be honest, that didn't stick out to me as much. Yes, it's super morally questionable, especially because of the context. Siblings wouldn't have been as bad. But she didn't know. As the audience, we had more context than she did. Still, because of the sexual nature, specifically, it was a bit gross. In general, at the risk of setting off red flags, I don't think incest between siblings is that bad, and certainly not the end of the world type thing. But only as long as it's romantically (and maybe sexually, to a lesser extent) intimate without having children. It's okay to be close. Beyond that is when it's WAY too far, in my red flag-y-times-infinity opinion.

Zac Efron gave a pretty good performance. He played his character well, and on the complete opposite side of things, in the courtroom scene, he played 'serious' well. I haven't seen him in anything else yet, but I've seen some people bring up how his performance in this film was one of his best or something along those lines. Based on that, I imagine the capability/ability is there, and his roles are the "problem."

The stand-out element in this entire film was probably the duo of Zac Efron and Leslie Mann. They had good chemistry and flowed super well together. Their scenes were the best parts of the film, and it's almost criminal that there were so few. There should be a second film where Mike somehow goes through the transformation again, and Scarlet goes along with it, shenanigans ensue; the chemistry between Zac and Leslie is better than ever. Or maybe the other way around: Scarlet goes through the transformation.

Anyway, this was an entertaining watch. It did lose some impact the second and third time; not much rewatchability. And I'd imagine as far as films like this are concerned, this one isn't even that high up; there are way better ones out there. But that doesn't mean this film sucked. It was entertaining enough. Now, as I'm writing this last sentence, then posting this review, I'm about to eat some pizza.