17 AGAIN (Wait, You Mean...Again!?)

I say that because this type of movie has been made and remade so many times, I am a little befuddled that anybody would want to travel down the road again...unless maybe you had a certain post-teen star who was looking for a film in which he didn't dance (that much, anyway, since he does briefly bust a move in the beginning) and sing (which he does not).

There was FREAKY FRIDAY (fun, fun, fun with Jodie Foster), BIG (amazing) and then...well, all the other movies that weren't, um, FREAKY FRIDAY or BIG.

So, 17 AGAIN. All I can say is they trailered the movie with many shots of Zac dancing (most did not make it into the film) and him taking his shirt off in some sort of golden light/slicked down with water type thing (no, that didn't make it into the movie, either). I guess they know their audience.

And who is that audience? When we went on opening night the theatre was full with three distinct things:

1. Tween girls
2. Gay men
3. Aimee

:-)

I would like to point out I have said I don't think this film is going to do anything stellar for Zac Efron (but I do not doubt it will do well; probably number one this weekend). Sure, it's not a musical, but he does do some dancing, he does play basketball (Go Wildcats!) and he showcases his good looks well. But, does it showcase him as an "actor?"

To wit, some reviews from the top papers:

--"Zac Efron is in need of a good movie" (I agree)
--"Stars Efron in a role cryogenically frozen around the time of C. Thomas Howell's '80s heyday" (ouch!)
--"Efron has no edge" (sigh)
--"Zac Efron, as a basketball star, looks baffled as to why he hasn't been asked to sing and dance" (okay, them's fightin' words!)

He still needs to act, because I think he could. And I still think he needs CAPTAINS.