17 Again Blu Ray Review (Warner Bros.)

17 Again is a 2009 comedy directed by Burr Steers (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Charlie St. Cloud, Chapelwaite, Weeds, and Igby Goes Down). It was written by Jason Filardi (Bringing Down the House, Drum, Status Update, Back Nine, and Chapelwaite). It was produced by Adam Shankman (Hairspray, The Pacifier, Premonition, Bedtime Stories, Rock of Ages, Hocus Pocus 2, and Step Up franchise) and Jennifer Gibgot (She’s All That, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, He’s All That, The Last Song, Going the Distance, and The Wedding Planner). In 2020, they made a television series based off this concept. The budget was $20,000,000 and it grossed $136,316,880 worldwide at the box office. Thirtysomething Mike O’Donnell (played by: Matthew Perry from Friends, Fools Rush In, Three to Tango, Serving Sara, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and The Whole Nine Yards) has always been curious what would have happened if he didn’t stop pursuing his dreams. Then one mysteriously magical moment, Mike (played by: Zac Efron from Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, The Paperboy, Neighbors franchise, The Iron Claw, and That Awkward Moment) gets his chance. He’s comes back at Hayden High. He’s the star of the basketball team, popular, and a classmate to his own teenage kids which gives Mike a chance to go from a not-so-good dad to really cool friend. He gets to reconnect with his family in a completely different way and he notices how they really feel about his current self!!!! I wouldn’t consider 17 Again the traditional body swap feature because it’s a little different from the others. I’ve always enjoyed that sub-genre. It’s more like Big or a reverse version of 13 Going on 30 when the main character becomes another version of themselves. Generally, it has two people that are switched up. I wasn’t expecting much from 17 Again when I originally watched it but it’s actually much better than expected. Zac Efron as the high school version of Mike O’Donnell gives one of his best performances when he was younger. This was before he got all kinds of comedy roles later on but he proves here that he’s a natural when it comes to humor. Matthew Perry has a much smaller role as the older Mike O’Donnell. I think it’s an interesting casting choice because Zac Efron doesn’t really resemble him at all. Regardless, he’s solid as the clueless husband and father. He gets a rude awakening on how his kids and ex-wife honestly feel about him over the years. He ends up growing up more as his earlier self. The supporting cast is loaded with so many familiar faces which includes Leslie Mann (Knocked Up), Thomas Lennon (I Love You, Man), Michelle Trachtenberg (EuroTrip), Melora Hardin (The Office), Brian Doyle-Murray (Wayne’s World), Jim Gaffigan (13 Going on 30), Nicole Sullivan (The King of Queens), Margaret Cho (All-American Girl), Tyler Steelman (Beowulf), Allison Miller (A Million Little Things), Sterling Knight (Sonny with a Chance), Adam Gregory (The Bold and the Beautiful), Hunter Parrish (The Following), Melissa Ordway (Ted), Tiya Sircar (Star Wars: Rebels), Collette Wolfe (Hot Tub Time Machine), Tommy Dewey (Saturday Night), and Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries). 17 Again is hilarious and the main character gets put in so many awkward scenarios. It basically shows you to appreciate what you have and never take anything for granted. It’s all about second chances. It’s more aimed towards a younger crowd but adults can definitely relate to most of it. It’s so much fun and very entertaining with some solid replay value to it. It has aged pretty good over the years, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Warner Bros Pictures! This 1080p (2.40:1) transfer is exactly the same as the previous 2009 restoration. 17 Again still looks pretty good considering it’s older especially with it’s high school setting. It has a few different audio options which includes English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and English: Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks on the disc. The soundtrack stands out the most here when it comes to the audio. All of the dialogue is crystal clear, the laughs are elevated, and the music has a huge boost to it. It has English SDH and Spanish subtitles. It has the “Way Cool” Tell All Trivia track. It shares all kinds of facts and information while you view the movie. It has the 12 minute “Zac Goes Back”. This is the making of 17 Again. It has various interviews including Efron and Perry. They chat about the comedy project. They talk about trying to get down each other’s mannerisms to fit the main character. It has the 3 minute “Going Back To 17”. They chat about their experiences and memories from being in high school here. It has the 3 minute “Breakin’ Character Outtakes”. It has the 2 minute “Zac’s Dance Flashback”. It has 13 “Additional Scenes” that’s around 16 minutes. The original BD-Live extras included a Zac Efron “Audio Commentary, “Zac Attacks”, and “Tom Lennon and Melora Hardin – Unfiltered” but none of show up anymore with this re-release. It’s available everywhere right now including MovieZyng.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!