13 Going On 30

Plot Summary

It's Jenna Rink's 13th birthday and she has invited some of the 'cool' girls and boys from school to her party. Her best friend, Matt, from next door is also there. Jenna gets upset when she discovers that all her guests, except Matt, have left and that they were just making fun of her. Inspired by a magazine article that she read entitled "Thirty, Flirty and Thriving" Jenna wishes that she was 30. The next morning 13 year-old Jenna wakes to discover that her wish has come true. She has the body of a thirty year old, complete with "great boobs" to fill out the gorgeous clothes in her wardrobe. It also looks like she has arrived in 'shoe heaven' with hundreds of shoes lined up for her. She is totally shocked but not half as shocked as when she meets her half-naked boyfriend coming out of the bathroom!  "A MAN. Gross!" 

Review

This movie certainly hasn't come up with an original idea. Movies like Big, with Tom Hanks, and more recently Freaky Friday, with Jamie Lee Curtis, have already done the 'trapped in the wrong body' idea. It's fairly easy to follow in their footsteps and of course the source of the humour can be easily found in the various situations and predicaments that the 'trapped' person finds themselves in. In this case, a 13 year-old girl finds that she has grown up overnight and is now a wealthy, successful, executive for a chic magazine. She can't remember anything about the last 17 years and as far as she's concerned, and in spite of appearances, she is only a kid. The situation does give rise to some very funny scenes but there's limitations as to how far the story can go. There isn't an awful lot to the story and by the end of the movie it is as if the story doesn't really matter. There's a feeling that the jokes have all been fitted in and it's time to wrap up the movie.

Jennifer Garner plays the grown up Jenna and her performance gives the movie the charm it needs to save it from being a total dud. She acts like an awkward, naive, 13 year-old very well and looks like she enjoyed the part. The grown up Matt, Jenna's friend, is played by Mark Ruffalo. His character is not very dynamic and perhaps a more interesting character could have given an opportunity to develop the story or add to the humour.

Bottom Line: It's been done before but it's a nice, harmless, light-hearted comedy.  The movie will probably appeal to the 11 to 15 age group with older teenagers finding it a bit lame. If you enjoyed  Freaky Friday, The Prince And Me, or Mean Girls you might like this one. 

Reviewed by Niall Quinn, Premier Movie Reviews 2004.

RELATED MOVIE REVIEWS:  JENNIFER GARNER:  Daredevil.  MARK RUFFALO:  Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind.

Genre: Teen Comedy

Certificate: 12's

Director: Gary Winick

~ Main Cast ~

Jennifer Garner

Mark Ruffalo

Judy Greer

Andy Serkis

Kathy Baker

RATING

ONLY IF YOU HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO