also.known.as “spvn”

So I just left a cinema after watching the latest flick staring Zac Efron, 17 Again. Trust me, it wasn’t my idea to go watch this “chick flick” (I mean it technically isn’t exactly a chick flick but any film with Zac Efron in it nowadays might as well be considered one). However, I turned out REALLY enjoying the movie, for quite a few reasons in fact. One big surprise was that in this movie, Zac Efron finally showed that he can actually be quite a good actor.

First off, 17 Again is about 37 year old Mike O’Donnell (Matthew Perry) who’s disappointed with his life because he abandoned his last game in high school with scouts all around because his girlfriend got pregnant, thus eliminating his oppotunity to get a scholarship and hence enter college. Nearing 40 years old now, he’s regretting his choice back then and is in the middle of a divorce with his wife (who was his girlfriend). However, thanks to a janitor’s mystical powers, he’s turned back into his 17 year old self. From then onwards, hilarity ensues, along with all sorts of drama. Him trying to help his children while being their classmates, trying to convince his wife out of the divorce, etc.

It’s during this period of time that Zac Efron begins to show how he can pull of such an awkward role. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Zac Efron fan. To me, he’s simply been put in every other movie because it’d help attract more girls to come to the cinema to squeal over him. I still remember that 1 second long scene in Hairspray where all he did was wink at the camera and the cinema I was in practically erupted with squealing girls. Really quite an amazing power he has.

However, in this movie, he finally showed that he’s more than just a pretty face used on posters and publicity material. Somehow, he managed to capture that perfect sense of “I’m an adult trapped in a young body” in almost every single way. When he’s giving long lectures to students about life, consoling/comforting his own children even as a teenager, the way he talks to his “wife”, etc. It all seems strangely authentic with the amount of emotion he injects into those scenes. I have to hand it to you this time Zac Efron, you did a great job.

Of course, his performance was hardly the only thing that was entertaining about this movie. In fact, I’d suggest ANY geek/dork go watch it, because Mike O’Donnell’s closest friend is a huge geek. I mean there’s SO many references in this movie. From obvious ones such as Zac Efron getting involved in a lightsaber duel (I’m not kidding, it’s hilarious), to quotes like “Ah, an elegant weapon for a more civilised age”, to car plates that read “C3P GOLD”, Dungeons and Dragons, to two of them breaking into Elvish mid-way through the movie and thus the need for subtitles, it’s all there. While girls will appreciate having a cute guy to stare at throughout the entire hour and a half, at least us geeks will get some form of entertainment from lines and scenes that only we will truly understand.

The plot itself is also surprisingly well-written (in my opinion at least). I mean the whole “mystical powers that makes old person turn young” or vice versa or “mystical power that switches identities” and others have been really overused in corny/cheesy television movies. 17 Again manages to somewhat set itself apart through slightly unique scenes and it’s these . Though the movie does have its ups (Zac Efron pwning a school bully in the canteen) and downs (Zac Efron trying to convince high school students to abstain from sex through really cheesy dialogue… and actually succeeding), but on the whole it’s still a pretty enjoyable experience.

There’s nothing much else to say about this movie really. It’s by no means a movie to be taken seriously, and it’s not a “great” movie by any stretch of the imagination. But if you’re looking for a casual movie but you’re put off from 17 Again because Zac Efron is in it, don’t be. It’s not all bad, I’m sure there’s at least something in it that everyone will be able to appreciate, especially so if you’re a geek.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10