17 Again (Blu-ray)

Hmm, so much for Zac Efron trying to get away from his High School Musical image and becoming a proper, grown up actor. 17 Again opens with Zac shirtless (and looking very ripped), playing basketball, before launching into a pre-game dance routine. He even has to decide between playing hoops at college and his girlfriend. However what at first seems like a very deliberate attempt to make the movie seem like High School Musical 4, does break out on its own after the first 10 minutes, when Zac’s 1980s teen version of Mike O’Donnell has grown into Matthew Perry’s 30-something, 2009 edition.

Mike’s on the verge of divorce and feeling like he’s wasted his life, having chosen his pregnant girlfriend and a dead-end career over his dreams of basketball stardom. Then a creepy janitor comes along and he’s magically become 17 Again. Apparently this unusual occurrence is something to do with spirit guides and putting things right, but the movie isn’t really that interested in how Mike’s halved his age. The now young-again Mike decides that despite being a 30-something trapped in a 17-year-old’s body, it’d be a better idea to go back to high school than head down to the doctor, and so he enrols at the school that his own teenage children son and daughter attend (Michelle Trachtenberg and the excellent Sterling Knight).

It won’t be too shocking to hear that Mike’s not too impressed to find that his kids are slightly less innocent and grounded when they don’t think their parents aren’t around, and so he sets about sorting things out for them, as well as reconnecting with his wife (Leslie Man). However doing all this in a body he hasn’t had for nearly 20 years causes all sorts of confusion and misunderstandings.

It’s all lightweight, pleasant enough fare that rumbles along in amiable if not-at-all memorable fashion. 17 Again isn’t destined to become a body swap classic, but it’s alright, and Zac is a likable presence at the movie’s centre and sometimes hints that he’s going to turn into a very good actor and not just a pin-up. However here he’s mainly on pin-up duties. It won’t have been lost on anyone who’s seen the trailer that this film is mainly being sold on the Efron factor, with a shot of him peeling off his shirt being the highlight of a promo that tells you nothing about the movie.

The Blu-ray is being sold on the same strength, with the box cover promising ’30 Minutes More With Zac’. Those 30 minutes of extras include a featurette looking at Zac jigging away in an 80s dance routine that was cut from the final movie. There’s also an interview with him talking about the making of the movie, outtakes, quite a lot of deleted scenes and the cast and crew reminiscing about their own high school years. It’s a pretty good selection to be honest, and will certainly satisfy teenage girls who are mesmerised by Zac’s very existence on this planet.

The Blu-ray picture is less impressive. It’s okay but for a brand new film is softer and grainier than you’d expect. The colours don’t pop either, which is surprising for a film that's mainly set in bright California sunshine and full of rich, primary colours. It’s passable enough and better than any DVD transfer, but it’s not what we’ve come to expect from brand new movies in high-definition. The audio however is nice and crisp, but as it’s not exactly the type of film that was ever going to be an aural sensation, it means that there’s not as much to differentiate the Blu-ray from the DVD as you’d hope. The Blu-ray is definitely the one to go for if you need every single pixel of Zac, but otherwise the DVD should suffice.

Overall Verdict: 17 Again is nothing even vaguely special, but it’s a decent, inoffensive Zac fix for his fans. Let’s hope he picks more substantial project from now on though.

Special Features:
‘Zac Goes Back’ Featurette
‘Going Back To 17’ Featurette
Tell All Trivia Track
Outtakes
‘80s Dance Flashback’ Featurette
Deleted Scenes

Reviewer: Tim Isaac