17 again is a sweet adorable movie on the very common hollywood theme of shift on your age-line. Its cliché,its predictable and it definitely reminds you of many in the line of swap theme like Big, Freaky Friday, 13 going on 30; yet its engaging, funny and charming.

So here director Burr Steers brings a 17 yr old teenager Mike O’Donnell (Zac Efron), a high-school basketball star who aspires to make it big in the sports arena along with college scholarship but decides to give it up all and settle down with his high-school sweetheart Scarlett on learning about her expectant condition.

20 years later, life is not all roses for Mike (Mathew Perry); his married life is on the verge of a split and his teenage kids, Maggie and Alex, have no affinity towards him. Add to that is the professional discontent of a mundane, no returns dead-end job and of course the ever-existing frustration and regret of having given up his biggest dream.

But fate decides to give Mike a second chance to relive his dreams by transforming him into a 17 yr old magically. So Mike gets admission to high-school with the help of his nerd friend Ned (Thomas Lennon), where his kids study as well, and starts his journey towards fulfilment of his even cherished dream. As Mike moves ahead in his newly found teenage life and struggles to find the underlying reason for his transformation, he gets an opportunity to get close to his wife and gets a chance to help his kids make right decision in high-school. Treating this as the  “spirit guide’s agenda” for transformation, Mike begins to invest all his time and effort in reviving his broken relationship with his family. Things go smooth for a while untill misunderstandings begin to crop up and Mike fails to convey his feelings on account of a mis-represented identity.

The movie has nothing new to present in terms of story-line and screenplay but it’s definitely entertaining enough to watch through with the teen heart-throb Zac Efron playing the lead. The misunderstandings, the jealousy, the romance between young Mike and adult Scarlett (Leslie Mann), and how do we not mention Ned trying to woo the school-principle. The movie presents a good blend of comedy and romance with nothing bein over-done. Zac plays a strong enough lead  for his character, as do the other actors.

As I pen down a brief all-ordinary review for this superficial movie, a deep thought strikes my mind. I seriously think of the times when I want to reduce weight and fit back into those beautiful revealing tang-tops and halter that lay low in my closet.  But as I begin to drop weight all I am worried about my new pair of jeans which keeps on sliding down my waist and gives a gross look. Yes, even I want to be 17 again, but I know for sure what I have today is also a moment to enjoy and rejuvenate rather than crib about the missed opportunities.

Well, getting back to the synopsis – It’s definitely not ground-breaking cinema and is a no-no for serious cinema-goers, but it’s definitely worth a watch for some light mind-less entertainment, with family and friends.