17 Again (Warner Blu-ray w/DVD + DVD)

 

Picture: B/C+/C     Sound: B/B-     Extras: D     Film: D

 

 

Films about a younger and older person either switching bodies (Freaky Friday) or an older person suddenly finding themselves young years later have been done to death, including a remake of the former that was a moderate hit quickly aging into a bizarre affair.  The latter has not been done in a while, so enter Zac Efron (looking for another hit) and we get Burr Steers’ 17 Again, a moderate 2009 hit that had only to do with its star.

 

An awful film, we are supposed to believe Matthew Perry (the barely-actor still living off of his TV days from the overrated Friends, special episodes and all) once looked like Efron, which is a preposterous stretch.  Then to believe he might have been exciting as any character or himself at any time in the past.  Fortunately for Efron fans, he is in it more than anyone else, but unfortunately, this is not Big by a longshot as this is phony without any attempt at heart or soul and Jason Filardi (who fared much better with Bringing Down The House) makes a film that is still in the mall movie 1980s.  The result instead I slight, lame, condescending and even insulting more often than not.  You would never know 9/11 happened.

 

But Efron already proved his big screen chops outside of Disney with Hairspray and that will generate business.  Unless you are a very big fan, avoid this at all costs.

 

 

The 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image is in the weak side despite being shot in Super 35mm.  It just does not look that good, sometimes generic and like a lamer version of a bad 1980s film.  We landed up looking at three versions over three different releases we received.  The Blu-ray has an anamorphically enhanced bonus DVD and the separate DVD has that version plus a terrible 1.33 X 1 edition for obsolete analog TVs.  The DVD is much weaker and pan & scan 1.33 just awful.  The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix is not that good, though rich and full at times, has a weak soundfield (ala the 1980s ‘again’) and dialogue that is not always consistently recorded well.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 on the DVD versions is poorer, with the pan & scan version sounding awkward.

 

Extras include a trivia track, two making of featurettes, and Digital Copy for PC and PC portable devices.  The Blu-ray BD Live holds an Efron audio commentary hostage, plus two more featurettes.  That is enough “Zack” for an overdose.  Let’s hope he finds better films ASAP, but the hit won’t hurt, no matter how many people feel like they lost 102 minutes of their life they’ll never get back.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo