This review first appeared in The Colorado Springs Gazette. To read this review at its original source, click here.

Last week, the formulaic Hannah Montana: The Movie turned out to be surprisingly well-made and undeniably effective. This week the equally formulaic 17 Again scores yet another three-pointer for cookie-cuter movies everywhere. What’s going on around here?

Back in 1989, high school basketball star Mike O’Donnell (Zac Efron) had everything going for him — ravenous college scouts and a gorgeous girlfriend named Scarlett. But when Scarlett lets Mike in on a growing secret, his bright future disappears in an instant. Nearly 20 years later, Mike (Matthew Perry) yearns for his glory days. His marriage to Scarlett (Leslie Mann) is coming apart at the seams, his two teenaged children want nothing to do with him and he’s just been passed over for a promotion at work.

Disgusted with his going-nowhere life and desperate to start over, Mike finds himself transformed into a teenager again and deposited back in high school (is this a horror movie?) with the opportunity for a second chance. But it isn’t long before Mike recognizes that whatever powers are behind his miraculous makeover, they have a much higher purpose in mind than his own selfish ambitions. It turns out Mike’s kids (Michelle Trachtenberg and Sterling Knight) aren’t faring so well and could really use a helping hand.

17 Again is It’s a Wonderful Life meets Back to the Future with a little Freaky Friday and Big tossed in just to keep things interesting. Director Burr Steers knows exactly what his audience wants and he isn’t afraid to give it to them, including scenes that showcase Efron’s dance moves and basketball handling skills. Oh, and ladies, he’s shirtless from the moment we first lay eyes on him.

Whether he’s hitting on the appreciably older Mann, jousting with his high school geek-turned-techno-billionaire best friend Ned (Thomas Lennon, who is a perfect comic foil to Efron’s looks and charm) or forgetting he is a 17-year-old boy behaving very much like the officious father he really is, Efron carries the film with palpable ease.

Say what you will about Efron’s musicals-heavy resume thus far, the impossibly good looking actor is a major star in the making. Movies like 17 Again should be seen as place holders, keeping Efron’s name warm while he bellies up to more serious fare, like this fall’s Me and Orson Wells. Even in material as fluffy as this, he is galvanizing, by turns hilarious and poignant. As annoying as it may occasionally be to navigate a pubescent world enraptured by even the mere mention of his name, it won’t be long now before even the adult population joins the chorus.

17 Again is well made, decently written and populated with charming leads. However predictable it may be, the film juggles the story of midlife nostalgia without ever losing its balance. Enjoyable and consistently funny, if most of the summer fare is popcorn, consider 17 Again the cotton candy desert.

© Copyright 2009 Brandon Fibbs. All rights reserved.