The Worst Film Ever

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

There were plenty of movies in the 1980's where a kid would trade places with a parent, but the best of these in my opinion is 18 Again! The take away I got from this movie is the powerful bond that can develop between a Grandparent and their Grandchild. Also, what it would be like for someone at the end of their life to have one chance to go back and be 18 again if just for a short time.

This is a fun comedy. It hits all the right notes for a very tired "soul-switching" genre that tended to dominate in the late-80s/early-90s. The difference is "18 Again" is the best of that genre hands-down. "Big" is a better movie, but that isn't soul-switching as much as a "child/grownup" genre. Match "18 Again" against other soul-switchers like "Dream A Little Dream", "Vice Versa", "Freaky Friday", or the horrific "Like Father, Like Son" from the same era - and you'll see a story with a heart unlike the others. In modern terms, this movie is closest to "17 Again" - although again, that isn't soul-switching as much as "child/grownup". However, I would take "18 Again" over "17 Again" simply for two reasons: Charlie Schlatter's uncanny physical mimicking - and the comedy talents of George Burns.Charlie Schlatter is absolutely PERFECT as both David/Jack. His lovable-but-worthless "deer in the headlights" college freshman vs. that of his world-wise, confident grandfather, played by the irrepressible George Burns. The story twists with young David going through a series of let-downs that only a college freshman could experience with all the put-downs and disappointments we could expect. Enter his amazingly spontaneous and funny grandfather, Jack. Once Jack's soul enters David, we see all the confidence David needed to solve so many of his difficult situations.The supporting cast is fine, if not a bit caricatured. However, watching Burns "inhabit" Schlatter's 18-year-old body is a joy. Schlatter should be teaching young actors/actresses on how to mimic body movements. He is simply that mesmerizing once Jack is "inside" him. It's a hoot. The part where "young" Jack tells his best friend, Charlie (Red Buttons) who he really is... It's a gem of a scene. Two legendary comedians using the body of a very capable young actor to convey joy and happiness from a bygone era... Loved it.This is not a classic college comedy like "Animal House", "Revenge of the Nerds" or anything like that. But as a feel-good, happy little story that is well worth watching simply to watch George Burns at his best as the old gent with a wicked wit, this is a good one.

Superficially, "18 Again!" is a harmless, easygoing, sometimes even heartwarming comedy. But you don't need to look too hard to see the unsavory subtexts (like a 80+ year old man flirting with women one quarter his age, which is apparently OK because his mind and personality are inside a young body), which are completely ignored, as is the predicament of the young man, whose mind is trapped inside George Burns' body and remains in a coma nearly for the duration. I called the movie "lazy" because, not only does it give us just one side of the coin, but it shows little imagination even in the presentation of that one side (the sole exception may be a large-scale 1920s-style party that Burns organizes). On the bright side, Charlie Schlatter is likable as "himself" and spot-on as "Burns", Burns as Burns tells one or two good jokes, and Anita Morris is so sexy and busty she stops the show. ** out of 4.

The story premise of body swap is surely rare for the movie's time. Yet the thing is that even for a movie of that time, the overall feel is like of one that's not too well organized. The pace is kept stable almost all the entire movie. But it jumps drastically and unprepared to the climax point.The mood is acquired nicely through the use of props and reminiscing of old nostalgia. But it gets a bit carried away when Tony Roberts sound like he's using an accent common in the movies of 1950s. The acting is a so-so. Everyone just acted out below expectation. Although, it must be said that Charlie Schlatter did nice to impersonate older folks.