Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly Entertaining
Review: I've got the ol' double X chromosome, and consequently, chick flicks aren't exactly my cup of tea. It's funny how preferences go out the window during a romantic relationship, because I'm becoming a bit of an expert on the genre. Until 13 Going on 30, I had enjoyed probably 2 chick flicks out of several thousand. Ok, not really, but it was a very tiny enjoyment ratio. I don't know what it is about 13 Going on 30, whether it's the script, Jennifer Garner, both...but this is a very good flick. It's often said that this is girl's answer to "Big," and I can honestly see this movie becoming exactly that once it's released on dvd. Jennifer Garner is outstanding, several parts actually made me laugh out loud in the theater of all women and their unhappy boyfriends, and also, I love "Thriller" even more now that I've seen this movie. To the fellas, pick this one up for your lady, it could score you some points. It's a good excuse too, because this is one movie that any man could buy and enjoy by himself. But we're not going to admit that.
Rating:
Summary: Well Done! Cutesy & Fun!
Review: I've never been a fan of Jennifer Garner, but she completely won me over as Jenna Rink, an awkward 13 year old trapped in the body of a successful, sophisticated 30 year old. I haven't seen a single episode of Garner's television series ALIAS, but I'm guessing she doesn't get the opportunity to flex her comedic muscles on that show very often. Too bad! In 13 GOING ON 30, she manages to be hilariously goofy and yet somehow incredibly charming at the same time. The major difference between 13 GOING ON 30 and the 1988 Tom Hanks film BIG is that Jenna doesn't simply just age seventeen years overnight. She actually lives the time between 1987 and 2004, though when she wakes up she's not aware of anything that happened to her during that time. In addition, her friends and family age along with her, again unlike what happened in BIG. Some of the film's funniest moments come right after Jenna's transfomation into the hip 30 year old she wished to be. She's literally floored by her own reflection, then shocked to discover a hunky, half-naked guy who calls her "Sweet Bottom" wandering around her posh NYC apartment. Being an 80's girl, she's clueless about modern technology so she's terrified by the sound of her own cell phone ringing. Baffled by the birthday wish come true, Jenna tracks down her childhood best friend Matt (Mark Ruffalo) in Greenwich Village. Unfortunately, Matt isn't too happy to see her since she treated him like dirt once she became a part of the snobby clique known as the Six Chicks. To her dismay, Jenna soon discovers that Matt isn't the only person she hasn't been very nice to over the years. She has her dream job as a top editor at POISE magazine, but it's clear that she's not the most popular person around the office. Worse still, she's no longer close with her parents. Despite everything, Matt helps Jenna adjust to her new life, and their friendship is restored. More than that, Jenna finds herself falling in love with her formerly dorky pal, but there's a problem--he's already engaged to another woman. Can Jenna make up for her past mistakes and win Matt's heart in the process? I'll just say this...the end will probably have you rolling your eyes, but it's still sweet. More importantly, thanks to Jennifer Garner's entertaining performance, getting there is tons of fun. Don't be surprised to see her get some recognition come awards season. At the very least, she should score a Golden Globe nomination, especially since the Hollywood Foreign Press has shown their approval of her work on ALIAS in the past. If you liked the 1988 Tom Hanks film BIG and/or the 2003 re-make of FREAKY FRIDAY starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, you should definitely give 13 GOING ON 30 a chance. The movie also features lots of great 80's music, including everything from "Head Over Heels" by The Go Go's to Michael Jackson's "Thriller", to what I think is a lesser known Billy Joel gem called "Vienna". I promise you'll leave the theater with a smile on your face!
Rating: 
Summary: No "Big" Deal
Review: If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then I would give "13 Going on 30", a female variation of "Big" , an "A" for effort but a "C" for execution. It is enjoyable enough but after your done watching this confection is "So what?". Jennifer Garner is utterly charming, as always, as Jenna, the teenager who desires to be an adult. That said, even an actress as adept as Garner cannot overcome the lightweight script. Garner, unlike Tom Hanks, has to hone her chops as a comedienne to carry a starring vehicle. I'm optimistic that in the future that as she is given more opportunities(and better material) that the sky will be the limit for Garner. Mark Ruffalo seems to fare better in this film, but the demands on him are not as great. Special note should be made for young Christa Allen who plays Jenna at 13 and does an outstanding job.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly fresh and funny - old themes given a new twist!
Review: Jenna Rink (Jennifer Garner), age 13, wants nothing more than to be "thirty, flirty, and thriving." But nothing prepares her for waking up one morning to find that her dream has come true. She stumbles out of bed only to find that she is in a strange house, and there's a naked man in her shower! Once Jenna manages to pull herself together, she sets out to discover just what's happened to her in the last 17 years, of which she has no recollection. She looks up her best friend from childhood, Matty (Mark Ruffalo), in hopes that he'll be able to help fill in the gaps. What she finds out, though, is that maybe, despite the fact that she's achieved all her childhood dreams, she's actually lost more than she's gained. Now, the basic theme of the movie has obviously been used before - someone wishes they could jump to a different time in their life (either forward or backward depending on their goals), only to discover that once they achieve this, it's not quite all they had hoped for and they'd like nothing better than to just go back to the way things were before. But the plot is given several fun twists that keep it from feeling hackneyed. The '80s theme throughout the movie is a delightful touch, and Jennifer Garner's comedic timing is perfect, providing us with tons of genuinely funny laughs. Some moments had the whole theater in stitches! We also see Jenna discover some truths about herself and undergo transformations that are touching. The overall moral message is that true friendship is more important, and has more long-term rewards, than high school popularity. All the actors did fantastic jobs. Jennifer Garner makes Jenna's character both touching and funny, and Mark Ruffalo is incredibly sweet and charismatic. The chemistry between the two is great. The show, however, is often stolen by the brilliant performance of Andy Serkis, who plays the adult Jenna's stuffy but loveable boss. You may know Serkis as the actor who provided Gollum's voice and actions in "The Lord of the Rings," and it's great to see him here in a more visible role. I'd definitely recommend this movie for a lighthearted weekend excursion. The ending is a little predictable, but it's done well and the overall effect is heartwarming. It's worth seeing in the theater, worth renting when it comes out, and even perhaps worth owning if you find you really like it. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing it again.
Rating: 
Summary: IMITATION: THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY
Review: Okay, let's forget BIG. Sure 13 GOING ON 30 may be the distaff side of Tom Hanks' biggie, but on its own, it's an enjoyable, well done and involving comedy. It's fun to watch; Jennifer Garner is marvelous as its heroine, and underrated Mark Ruffalo is just right as the cast off boyfriend who finds out the torch is still lit. While using the magic dust as an incredible device, we still enjoy watching Garner as she has to adapt her 13 year old mind to the 30 year old she has become. Garner demonstrates a keen understanding of this and does extremely well in being both the teenager and the grown up girl who got what she wished for, but at what expense? the 80s soundtrack is great, and I had a good time watching the dancing to THRILLER. I never liked the song that much but the way it is used in this movie, along with another classic LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD, is brilliant. Judy Greer is fine as the still vicious Tom Tom; Andy Serkis is a joy out of the Gollum make-up; and West Virginia native Samuel Ball (from my neighboring community of Inwood), plays the brainless but hunky Alex very well, including his ridiculously foolish strip act.
13 GOING ON 30 is predictable and at times a little mawkish, but I found it delightfully entertaining and think it stands on its own in spite of its comparison to BIG.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best surprises of 2004
Review: Some days you just want to watch a fun little movie that will make you feel good no matter what kind of mood you are in. Movies like that don't come around that often, but 13 Going on 30 has joined that group.
I am not going to dwell on the fact that this is essentially the same plot as Big. I don't see what the big deal is. Look at teen horror movies. Although I find most of them entertaining, they are pretty much the same basic plot over and over. Why should Big and this movie be endlessly compared?
Jennifer Garner does a fantastic job. I have been a fan of hers ever since Alias first came on, and I am glad to see her pull off comedy so well. She is such a great comedic actress and I hope she does more movies like this in the future. Anyone who thinks she doesn't have range should watch this movie because she can pull off ANY genre.
The supporting cast is also very good. Mark Ruffalo does a very good job. I had never seen him in anything before but I can see why he gets a lot of attention. Judy Greer is very good as Jenna's "friend." She is a good little villain.
I think this movie is very relatable. You don't have to be a girl to relate to this movie. Who hasn't felt unpopular, had one of their friends stab them in the back, or wanted to go back to a time in your life when things weren't so complicated? It's relatable elements like that that make this a movie you can watch over and over again.
I absolutely LOVE the soundtrack for this movie. I love all the 80s songs in it and they form the basis for many of the movie's most memorable scenes. I also like the modern day songs too. They did a really good job of finding the right music to fit the scenes.
I love this movie and highly recommend it. I never get tired of it because it is such a well made movie. Even though it is predictable, it doesn't matter because it is just very funny and entertaining. This was one of the best movies I watched last year and if you haven't seen it yet, definitely do so.
Rating:
Summary: Jennifer Garner Shines!
Review: There was a movie that came out a few years ago starring Tom Hanks called "Big." I never saw "Big" but I know what it is about nonetheless. It is about a boy who wants to be grown up or, well, big. He wakes up one mourning and he is still in the same year, except he is an adult. "13 Going on 30" is about a 13 year old girl who wants to be 30 years ago, and because of some magical wishing dust, she wakes up 17 years later looking like Jennifer Garner. The difference is that in "Big" the only thing that changes is Tom Hanks. Everything changes for Jennifer Garner in "13 Going on 30." "13 Going on 30" is one of those movies where you know everything that is going to happen before you sit down. As the movie goes on, you could figure out all of the little things that are going to happen. There is nothing really new going on in this movie. What makes it good is the way actress Jennifer Garner handles the role. Jennifer Garner's last movie is "Daredevil," and in that film she was too busy fighting and having sex with Ben Afflick to really have a role. In this movie, it is her first leading role, and she is able to handle the film by herself. She is the main star, and not the co-star like she normally is. She also proves that she has a knack for comedy movies. I predict that we will be seeing more movies with her in them in the future. The movie starts in 1987 and we meet Jenna Rink, who is a 13 year old girl who wants to be older. On her birthday, she invites the popular girls, including Lucy, to her party. They trick her in a very mean way, leading her to yell and get mad at her friend and next door neighbor Matt. She wishes that she was 30 years old, and her wish comes true after magic wishing dust sprinkles on the top of her head. The next day, she is a beautiful 30 year old in the year 2004. She has no idea what is going on, and whose house she is in, and who the strange man that is in her bathroom is. She finds out that she is the editor of her favorite magazine, and her best friend is that girl Lucy from when they were kids. Both of them work for Richard Kneeland. Jenna finds the grown up Matt, and learns that they have not been friends since the day of her birthday party, and have not even seen each other since high school ended. Matt isn't happy to see Jenna, and Jenna also finds out that while he became a very good photographer, she has become a very bad person that not many people like. More bad news happens when it turns out that a rival magazine is stealing their ideas. Jenna suddenly finds herself falling in love with Matt, and trying to save her company from being no more. Another good part of "13 Going on 30" is Andy Serkis. Andy Serkis was not in this movie much, but his preformance was very well done. He played Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers," and "The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King." Him and Jennifer Garner probably saved this entire movie from being a flop. I like how Jennifer Garner acted like a 13 year old in her body. She did what Jamie Lee Curtis did in "Freaky Friday" which was another great preformance. I liked "13 Going on 30." It was not a great film, but it was an amusing way to spend two hours or so. I am looking forward to the next movies that Jennifer Garner makes. ENJOY! Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and brief drug references.
Rating:
Summary: This is the best movie Jenifer Garner has ever done!!
Review: This is a great movie for the whole family! This is a good movie to add to your family collection. This film is a bubbly spirit to it. It has an amazing soundtrack aswell. This is my favorite movie ever!!!
Rating:
Summary: Flirty, Thirty and Thriving!
Review: When I first saw the previews for this movie, I thought it was going to be just awful. Then I saw it was being likened to the famous Tom Hanks movie, Big, and was also getting excellent reviews. I decided to go and see it, and I'm SO glad I did! The basic story is this: A cute 13 year old girl named Jenna Rink wants nothing but to be popular and friends with the "in" crown. She's best friends with her next door neighbor, Matt, but the cool girls don't like him so after they completely destroy her ego at her birthday party she ruins her friendship with Matt and wishes to become "flirty and thirty" like the women in her magazine. *poof* She turns in to herself at 30... gorgeous, stylish, famous magazine editor with everything she ever wanted. Jenna begins to realize being everything she ever wanted isn't quite what it's cracked up to be, especially when she reunites with the now 30 Matt, who turned in to quite a babe (played by Mark Ruffalo). There are some hilarious hijinks between the two as well as with Jenna at the magazine. Jennifer Garner is absolutely PERFECT in the role as Jenna! I thought she was cute, charismatic and played the role perfectly (well, except for the robotic acting in the first scene when she wakes up at 30). The supporting cast is great in this movie as well, especially Andy Serkis! He's infamous now for playing Gollum in the amazing Lord of the Rings movie and he really steals the show here as Jenna's eccentric boss! I'd never seen him in another role besides Gollum and I have to say, he was great! Very funny, and I loved every minute he was on the screen! Overall, this was a fantastic movie. Deep and moving? No, but it's not supposed to be! It's lighthearted, funny and has a great moral. Fun movie for all ages - five stars from me!
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