Rating: 
Summary: Brings out the inner child! (Unless your Ebert and Roeper)
Review:
Jennifer Garner is not my favorite actor her being new to me and the simple fact that they choose her to be Elektra (which in all honesty doesn't suit her nor does she do justice to that particular Marvel Comic character. Her and Ben Afleck); I don't think she's beautiful, hot, or sexy, probably just bearable to look at, but she's not ugly either just average looking. So you can tell when I purchased 13 going on 30 I wasn't expecting much but to my great surprise this movie was everything I never thought it would be and more!
It was light hearted and genuinely funny. Jennifer Garner portrayed the personality of a 13-year-old girl of the 80s' perfectly it was almost hard to believe she wasn't 13 (then again, those are actors for you). The story is much like Tom Hank's movie "Big" only with a more feminine edge to it.
12-year-old Jenna wants so badly to be apart of a group of girls (six of them) and would practically blow of her best friend Mark just to join them, however when she is humiliated on her 13th birthday by these girls and their friends Jenna wishes for nothing but to be 30, flirty and successful. Unbeknownst to the young girl actually gets her wish. And thus a 30-year-old Jenna finds herself inside an apartment with a man she's never recognized and a life she never expected she would have.
I Practically laughed aloud when her friend said "Do you wan to go to jail, I meant him!" And Jenna replies "That guy, (scoffs) oh gross!" Hilarious! However, the movie (like most comedies) has its hints drama. When Jenna hits an unexpected bump in the road she finds things are going downhill in her life and heads back to her old home to get her feet back on the ground. Jenna finally begins to Realize being 30 isn't what's its cracked up to be.
The movie in all is a great wonder to behold all on its' own, I loved the fact that it featured music that my mother would listen to (excluding Pat Benatar(sp?) and the newcomer that sings "Why can't I?") and that it focused more on friendship before getting to the romance. This movie is for anyone looking for a major relief from all the movies seeking awards and B-movies alike. Trust me its a funny movie. [---a 5 out of 5]
Rating: 
Summary: "A comedy for the kid in all of us."
Review: "13 Going on 30" is a slightly-above average tween-targeted romantic comedy/"Big" rip-off/star vehicle for the up-and-coming Jennifer Garner. I suppose that there are worse ways to spend an evening than watching the adorable Garner pretend, and quite believably I might add, to be a teenager. For "what it is", "13 Going on 30" is a cute, enjoyable comedy that just may bring some tears to your eyes during its surprisingly emotional climax (depending on your personal life, I suppose.) Despite the hokey musical montages and some inevitable chick-flick "cheesy stuff", such as a bunch of adults joyfully dancing to Michael Jackson's "Thriller".
Anyways, it's not like my opinion, or any professional opinion for that matter (not that I'm a professional by any means!) matters when it comes to this sort of movie. "13 Going on 30" is the kind of movie you're going to see despite the reviews just because you love chick-flicks. Or maybe your daughter will drag you along to see it. Or maybe you're a big Garner fan. Or a Mark Ruffalo fan. Or maybe you're just feeling nostalgic for more innocent times.
Rating: 
Summary: Jennifer Garner's performance survives a pretty bad script
Review: "13 Going on 30" proves that Jennifer Garner is going to be a star mainly because her performance carries us along through the flaws in the screenplay by Josh Goldsmith & Cathy Yuspa and Niels Mueller (guess who had it last). Having been the killjoy Hannah on "Felicity" and only pretending to have fun as Sydney Bristow on "Alias," Garner has a blast as Jenna Rink. As a 13-year-old Jenna (Christa B. Allen) dreams of being one of the popular kids but she wishes to be "thirty and flirty." At her birthday party she is the target of a cruel prank by Tom Tom (Alexandra Kyle), the leader of the Six Chicks, the ultra cool snobbish girls that Jenna desperately wants to join even though her best friend and neighbor Matt Flamhaff (Jack Salvatore Jr.) points out that would be mathematically impossible. Totally embarrassed Jenna snaps at Matt, makes her wish, and has it fulfilled by virtue of magic dust (What? You wanted hard science on how this happens?).The next Jenna knows it is seventeen years later and she has, apparently, everything she ever wished for (breasts) and more (a job as an editor for "Poise" magazine). Her best friend is Lucy (Judy Greer), who turns out to not only be Tom Tom grown up but another editor at the same magazine. Jenna immediately tracks down Matt (Mark Ruffalo), who is also all grown up, except he remembers everything that happened since the last time they spoke: the day of her 13th birthday party. At that point we know that two things are going happen. First, despite having the knowledge and experience of a 13 year old Jenna is going to be a success at her job. Second, despite having the knowledge and experience of a 13 year old Jenna is going to end up making out with Matt (but not the naked guy in her apartment). Yes, we have seen the idea of a kid in an adult's body from the original "Freaky Friday" to "Big" to the recent "Freaky Friday" and a dozen other movies in between. The lack of originality does not bother me with "13 Going on 30," but the lack of creativity with this script does. Excuse me while I rant for a while, because I really wanted to enjoy this movie. First, Jenna was out of date by the time she was 13 back in 1987. "Thriller" came out in 1982 and five years later young Jenna is making sure she has all of Michael Jackson's zombie moves down on the dance floor (you have to admit that this movie takes spontaneous group participation to a new level: instead of everyone bursting into a well known song this time around it is doing all the dance moves from a music video that is twenty years old). Rick Springfield's big hit, "Jessie's Girl" was a hit way back in 1981, while Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefield" was big in 1983 (Note: Sometimes I tell viewers to be sure and watch the end credits; this time I am telling you to stay and LISTEN to the entire end credits). They make such a point of Jenna being 30 in the year 2004 that it makes tying the starting point to 1987 problematic. Gee, do you think that maybe this script was written four or five years ago? Second, leaping forward 17 years into the future presents Jenna with only one point of confusion: her cell phone. She has no problem walking in high heels, no other technological problems confront her, Eminem is the only new name she is confronted with, and if you really want to pick nits she never notices that the World Trade Center is missing. Okay, that is really quibbling, but they really should have been able to come up with some creative ways of her dealing with the brave new world in which she finds herself. Third, Jenna only succeeds in her job because the screenwriters wrote a scene in which everybody acts like she succeeded in doing her job. I thought the joke of "Magazine Publishing for Dummies" was good (I looked, Amazon does not sell the book), but that is still a kid's mind in that gorgeous body. Jenna needed to come up with a great idea and she did not even come up with a good idea. Meanwhile "Poise" has been scooped six months in a row by a rival magazine and the board is just starting to become concerned (when Bruce Springsteen showed up on the cover of both "Time" and "Newsweek" that was a bigger story that this). If I could talk about how that subplot plays out I could double the length of this rant with all the holes in that one. What holds "13 Going On 30" together is Garner's performance, which is far better than this script deserves. In a film like this there is always a moment when the main character has the chance to put things to right. When we get to that moment in this film it is disappointing because they should have been able to come up with something better. But then, we never really understood everything that happened to turn Jenna into a big success after her 13th birthday so we cannot expect the film to really connect the dots at the end either. The result is an unsatisfying film that fortunately will not start Jennifer Garner's rising star one whit. In fact, she is going to pick up momentum off of this one, she shines that much.
Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL!
Review: An outstanding romantic comedy, 13 Going on 30, brings to the screen exactly what the title implies: the story of a 13-year old girl who has her wish fulfilled and wakes up seven years later in the body of her 30-year old self!
13 Going on 30 is based on the hit 80's movie "BIG" starring Tom Hanks, and it is a film about human relations, hope and second chances, but most importantly about trust, love, and inner strength.
Jennifer Garner (who is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!!), Mark Rufallo, Andy Serkis, and the rest of the cast, have outdone themselves with their performances, which are exceptional to say the least. All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is AMAZING)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few laughs, not to mention a few tears. The film is simple enough, but does a great job of describing people's (young and adult alike) every day lives and the problems they face. It just goes to show that simplicity is often far better than complexity, when trying to present issues of a human nature.
In short, 13 Going on 30 is a movie definitely worth watching!
Rating:
Summary: Better than Big
Review: For some reason people hold Tom Hanks' BIG in high regard. I did not find it funny one little bit. And the supposed irony of him growing up to play with toys for a job annoyed me even when I was 8 years old. I knew adult life wasn't like that. For all of it's ridiculousness, 13 going on 30 is much better.
Plus it's more of a time travel movie than body-morph. It examines who we are as kids and how we end up as adults. It deals with relationships and lost innocence. Something far more interesting and relevant than anything BIG ever did. Plus Jennifer Garner is more easy on the eye than Tom Hanks. I wasn't keen on Mark Ruffalo being in this (I will NEVER forgive his moustache in IN THE CUT) but his character was (intentionaly) blank and emotionless enough for his performance to be unintrusive and he did a good job with it. It's difficult to care for a statue.
The Gollum guy playing Jennifer's boss was pretty much stereotyped and none of the other characters had much depth. There was no reason to get involved when you know their problems will become undone by the time-travel plot.
A nice way to spend a rainy afternoon. Just don't expect to remember it five minutes after it's finished. The DVD is in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with unengaging Dolby 5.1 sound and a bunch of extras I care not for.
Rating: 
Summary: Generic&Corny
Review: heard things about this film&I though it might have more to it but basically what is different between this film&freaky Friday? same type of concept&film. it's also a Insult to compare this film to Tom Hank's "Big" which was a Coming of Age Film for Hanks. Jennifer Garner is foxy chick,but Her Acting skills lets say are average at best. I also get so tired of all of these type of movies using the 80's music as there backdrop.they turn film into a Mini Music video as to a actual film.
Rating:
Summary: Fun for Anyone
Review: I don't believe for one second that anyone could dislike this film. Anyone who says they don't like it must be lying! It's so much fun-- the kind of movie you wish would be made more often. Jenna (Jennifer Garner play the older Jenna, while the talented Christa B. Allen plays the younger) is a girl who just wants to fit in. On her thirteenth birthday, she invites the "Six Chicks," the most popular girls in school. The leader agrees to come, so long as Jenna agrees to do this girl's school project. Everything seems to be going great, but the Six Chicks are conspiring against Jenna the whole time, making Jenna end up in a closet crying and wishing she were "30 and Flirty." The next morning 13 year old Jenna wakes up in a gorgeouos apartment in a 30 year old body. Garner is excellent in a role that seems tailor made for her. It reminded me of how well Jamie Lee Curtis pulled off playing a sixteen year old in "Freaky Friday." Garner is just as fantastic, if not better. When it comes to movies like this (a la "Big" or "Vice Versa") believability is everything. It's also great how the story isn't as fluffy as one might think. Jenna is not only dealing with being a newfound 30 year old, but is learning just what kind of person she turned out to be... and she doesn't like it. The premise has obviously been visited before, but this is fresh and full of life and I guarantee you will like this movie. You'll want to dance along with Jenna to "Thriller" because you'll like it so much. Definitely check this one out! It shouldn't be missed!
Rating:
Summary: 13 Going On 30
Review: I got this movie for christmas, and let me tell you, it makes a great gift! This is sort of like the movie "BIG" with Tom Hanks. This movie really made me laugh, and I probably saw it a million times! Jenna is a 13 year old girl who deals with everyday middle school problems. It's the day of her birthday party and she is happy that the popular people are coming. But it doesn't turn out that well. The popular people don't like her, and she has gotten in a huge fight with her best friend. Jenna really wants to be 30 because maybe then everything would be better, or so that's what a magazine says. So she sprinkles some wishing dust on herself, and wishes that she is 30. Her wish comes true, along with all the other things that she's wanted! Jenna works for her favorite magazine, she became friends with the popular girl, she is very sucessful, and rich. But does having all of this make Jenna happy? Or has she missed the really important things in life? Jenna soon finds out that she has not turned out to be a good person. Is getting what you want you always the best thing? This is a wonderful movie filled with humor and romance. Anyone will love this movie!
Rating:
Summary: Flashback!
Review: I saw this with my husband in the theater and we both loved it! It was an immediate favorite and we had to purchase it as soon as it came to DVD. The bloopers and extra cast footage is hilarious. I relived some of my own past memories all over again. The hair and the outfits made me feel like I'd gone back in time, and the movie truely makes you miss/enjoy being young and full of life. We definitely recommend this movie to anyone looking to have a few laughs and plenty of memorable moments.
Rating:
Summary: An entertaining, funny flick that oversteps its shortcomings
Review: I'll be honest. I really don't expect much from 'these kinds' of movies, so occasionally one of them does take me by surprise by being fantastic (i.e. - Freaky Friday last year, which would have made my Top 10 list had I not seen it so late). 13 Going on 30 gets really close to "fantastic" in quite a few moments, but has enough uneven little slips of narrative to put it in "cute" category. But let's get this straight - it's cute as hell, and enjoyable too. I'm not going to sit and rehash the plot because just about everyone knows that it's loosely based on the concept of Big - but the movie takes an added step in a great direction by forming that setup into an often intelligent meditation on those moments in life that everyone wishes to "redo." Jennifer Garner is cloying in the movie's opening stretch, but then settles perfectly into the role of Jenna, a 13-year-old girl who wishes to be 30 and then magically zooms ahead 17 years. Mark Ruffalo is great as usual in the role of Matt, a former childhood pal who resurfaces after all those years. I want to sit and nitpick on a few moments of the movie that had me rolling the eyes and I want to say that there's better stuff out there right now, so don't waste your time...but 30 really pulls out the stops and makes it totally worth it in the end. You don't have to be a 14 year old teeny-bopper to enjoy this movie either - anyone can identify with that age-old sting of regret. This movie will surprise you with its intelligence, its humor, and its ability to leap over a few flaws that you'll forget by the credits. Of course, guys, you can just stare at Garner's perfect body the whole time if all else fails. Jennifer Garner: A+++; The Movie: B
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