April 13, 2009
Also with overtones of Back to the Future, Big, and Freaky Friday. This is quite funny, thanks to an excellent cast, though not startlingly original, and they seem puzzlingly to have adopted the strange tactic of putting bits in the trailer that subsequently got cut out of the film, leaving you with a nagging sense of incompleteness.
There is much to enjoy in Matthew Perry's weary disappointment, his relationship with his friend (who has never really stopped being 17), the friend's determined pursuit of the scary head-teacher, and of course young Zac's cheerful and honed young self. Michelle Trachtenberg continues her excellent impersonation of a whiny emo teen - a beautifully observed extension of the part she played in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The resolution and message may cause you to yawn/gag, but there is sufficient fun along the way to justify the ticket price.
There is much to enjoy in Matthew Perry's weary disappointment, his relationship with his friend (who has never really stopped being 17), the friend's determined pursuit of the scary head-teacher, and of course young Zac's cheerful and honed young self. Michelle Trachtenberg continues her excellent impersonation of a whiny emo teen - a beautifully observed extension of the part she played in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The resolution and message may cause you to yawn/gag, but there is sufficient fun along the way to justify the ticket price.