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HTF DVD REVIEW: 17 Again (1 Viewer)

Ken_McAlinden

Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2001
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Livonia, MI USA
Real Name
Kenneth McAlinden
17 Again
17 Again

Directed By: Burr Steers

Starring: Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Michelle Trachtenberg, Matthew Perry, Melora Hardin, Sterling Knight


Studio: New Line
 
Year: 2009
 
Rated: PG-13
 
Film Length: 102 minutes
 
Aspect Ratio: 2.4:1
 
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
 
Release Date: August 11, 2009
 
 

The Film ***


The Video ***½

The film is presented via a 16:9 enhanced 2.35:1 presentation consistent with its original theatrical framing.  A 4:3 reformatted version of the film is also included, but was not reviewed by me.  While generally free of significant video and compression artifacts (there was occasional edge ringing, but I really had to be looking for it to notice on my 100" projection set-up), the transfer has a somewhat soft filtered look which prevents it from being on the level of reference quality SD presentations.  To be clear, this does not appear to be an artifact of the original photography, but more like something that was done in the video domain to make compression a bit easier.

The Audio ***

An English Dolby Digital 5.1 track is the film's only audio option.  It is a fairly unremarkable mix that makes minimal use of the surrounds and LFE channels, even in situations that would seem to lend themselves to it such as the high school basketball games that bookend the film.  Even across the front channels, stereo effects are applied lightly and infrequently except when music is playing.
 

The Extras ½

The disc has no extras.  When it is first played, the viewer is greeted with a series of skippable promos.  All are presented in 4:3 video, letterboxed when appropriate, with Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound unless otherwise indicated below:
  • Me and Orson Welles Theatrical Teaser (16:9 video - 1:09)
  • Warner Blu-Ray promo (16:9 video - 1:44)
  • Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins TV/DTV Trailer (1:39)
  • Ghosts of Girlfriends Past Blu-ray/DVD trailer (2:19)
  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Theatrical Trailer (1:52)
  

Packaging

The DVD comes in a standard-sized "Eco-lite" DVD hard case (uses less plastic than an Amaray case, but does not have holes in it like the "Ecobox" cases) with no inserts.  The widescreen and 4:3 reformatted versions of the film are presented on the same side of a dual-layered DVD-9 disc.  Menus are straightforward with the only options being "Play Movie", "Scene Selections", and "Set-up".
 

Summary ***

17 Again is an entertaining if unambitious variation on the adult-teen body swap genre of films.  It proves to be entertaining thanks largely to a charismatic and funny cast led by a surprisingly assured performance from Zac Efron.  The DVD presentation is in keeping with the solid but unspectacular nature of the film with a lightly filtered looking video, a decent representation of the film's functional but plain 5.1 audio track, and absolutely zero extras.

Regards,
 

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