"17 Again" *1/2 (out of four): Zac Efron proves his star power, but "17 Again" has a mean spirit and a mixed message wrapped in a candy-colored package.

Once a genre thought lost to the ages (or at least to the 80s), the body/age switching movie is back. Like its variants, "Freaky Friday", "Big" and the similarly-titled "18 Again", "17 Again" is the story of a man who transforms into his teenaged self in order to change his life for the better. Unfortunately, he's the only one better after the film is over. Looking past the brightness of the film's talented young star, "17 Again" has a mean spirit and a mixed message wrapped in a candy-colored package.

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