Zac Efron of High School Musical fame projects a sense of accountability to young female fans, as does Hannah Montana's Miley Cyrus. Where Cyrus seems duly conscious of being a role model, Efron takes his heartthrob status seriously.

In his first non-HSM starring role, he plays it safe and gently didactic as a teenager who is really a middle-aged man.

It's familiar formula. If you've seen Back to the Future, Freaky Friday or 13 Going on 30, you can divine the entire plot within minutes. Why Hollywood is so fascinated with high school undoubtedly has much to do with the box-office clout of the under-18 crowd. And who better to play a high school basketball star than Efron, who played one in High School Musical?

In fact, during the first few scenes, you might think you've wandered into a bargain screening of that tween-targeted hit franchise.

Efron plays Mike, a senior (class of '89) on his way to a bright future at a good college. Everything changes when his girlfriend, Scarlett, gets pregnant. They get married, and he misses college altogether.

Cut ahead to a 37-year-old Mike (Matthew Perry). He has grown bitter; Scarlett (Leslie Mann) has filed for divorce, and he has been passed over for a promotion at work. Perhaps worst of all, his kids seem to regard him with contempt.

He returns to his high school to pick up his kids and runs across a team photo from his glory days. A white-haired janitor spouts something about how Mike must wish he could do it all over again. He agrees, and is magically returned to his ultra-fit teenage/Efron self.

He chides his classmates for early sexual activity and tries to instill more mature values. Later, he is able to connect better with his teenage children, an element that gives the film some emotional heft. Otherwise, it's a by-the-book wish-fulfillment fantasy.

Though Efron's acting range is limited, he has a genial charm and decent comic timing. Helping out is a capable ensemble of support, including Thomas Lennon (I Love You, Man) and Melora Hardin (The Office).

Though not as clever as 13 Going on 30 or Freaky Friday, it's also not as hokey as Hannah. For a swoon-fest aimed at tweens, 17 Again has a lot going for it.