17 AgainMovie Reviews

Poster art for "17 Again."

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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 48 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
12 Iffy for 12+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    Often silly but it's an honest, unselfconscious exploration of the conflict between a man's physical and psychological age. Read full review

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Pleasant, harmless PG-13 entertainment, with a plot a little more surprising and acting a little better than I expected. Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    For a swoon-fest aimed at tweens, 17 Again has a lot going for it. Read full review

  • 50
    Boston Globe | Ty Burr

    The movie itself is petrified meatloaf. It's a body-transference comedy in the vein of "Big," "Freaky Friday," and other candidates for Turner Classics. Read full review

  • 50
    Washington Post |

    Engaging but pedestrian comedy. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times | Manohla Dargis

    The director, Burr Steers, whose other credits include "Igby Goes Down" and stints directing TV shows, keeps people and things moving fast enough so that you don't have time to worry about the details, like the inanity of the story. Read full review

  • 50
    Variety | Justin Chang

    Zac Efron's squeaky-clean tweener-bait profile is unlikely to be threatened by 17 Again, an energetic but earthbound comic fantasy that borrows a few moves, if little inspiration, from "Big" and "It's a Wonderful Life." Read full review

  • 50
    The Hollywood Reporter | Kirk Honeycutt

    Works better than you might imagine at times but stumbles awkwardly other times. The unevenness in the writing is matched by directorial overkill in certain comic sequences. Read full review

  • 42
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    The result is a slack do-over fantasy in which Zac Efron, as a basketball star, looks baffled as to why he hasn't been asked to sing and dance. Read full review

  • 25
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    Director Burr Steers, of the terrific "Igby Goes Down," is stuck polishing clichs. Read full review

View more reviews for 17 Again on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 12+ So-so comedy will amuse young Efron fans more than parents.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that they may want to think twice before letting young tween High School Musical fans see this PG-13 rated comedy, which is edgier than most of star Zac Efron's previous work. There's a scene of teens drinking at a party and a fair number of sexual references. It's generally more talk than action, but there's some making out, a teen girl gets pregnant, and one character hoards condoms. But curse words are few and fairly mild ("ass" and "bitch") and violence is at a minimum (of the two "fight" scenes, one is cartoonish, the other lukewarm). Parents may appreciate the fact that Efron's character implores his fellow teens to make so-called "smart" decisions about sexual activity and college.
  • Families can talk about what this movie teaches teens about the importance of their behavior and decisions, particularly when it comes to things like sex. Are those messages clear amid the comedy? Is it easier to hear those messages from Zac Efron than from parents?
  • Families can also talk about the ongoing popularity of movies about adults revisiting their younger years. Why is that kind of story so appealing?
  • How does this movie compare to others in that genre?
The good stuff
  • message true2 Positive messages: Characters learn lessons about appreciating family and making smart decisions. But to get there, they navigate some tricky situations (for instance, a high school senior gets his girlfriend pregnant and gives up college to marry her and find a job, leaving him frustrated and resentful).
  • rolemodels true0 Positive role models: Some students clearly relish bullying others; some girls practically throw themselves at guys (one says a guy doesn't even have to remember her name as long as he sleeps with her), and vice versa. A teen boy binges on junk food.
What to watch for
  • violence false2 Violence: One scene features intense slapping. In another, a grown-up swings a hatchet and light saber against a teen, but the scene is played cartoonishly. Some bullying and brief fistfights.
  • sex false3 Sex: More references than actual sex/action. A teen girl makes out with her boyfriend frequently. In one scene, a teen girl tries to seduce a guy with animal role-play. Conversations sometimes include sexual innuendoes; one guy hoards condoms because he says he has "needs." Discussion of abstinence and why it works (or not) for teens. A teen boy kisses a woman old enough to be his mother. A teenage girl gets pregnant, and her high school boyfriend offers to marry her. Girls throw themselves at a guy, essentially offering sex. Adult couple show in bed together. A boy wearing nothing but a shield (nudity implied) walks out of a party.
  • language false2 Language: Fairly mild; some use of "ass," "bitch," "dick," "whore," "oh my God," and the like. One "s--t" in a song.
  • consumerism false2 Consumerism: Products featured in the movie include Captain Crunch, Pringles, Nutella, and Old Milwaukee Beer. Much is made of a character's American Express Black Card.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false2 Drinking, drugs and smoking: One scene shows teens drinking (some of them drunk) at a party.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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