Even Jennifer Garner has admitted the debt "13 Going On 30" owes to "Big," so let's just a) consider how the movie works on its own merits and b) be thankful that this movie is closer in quality to "Big" and "Vice Versa" than "Dream A Little Dream" or "Like Father, Like Son." Now that we've got that out of the way...
At the end of the second season of "Alias," Jenny's Sydney Bristow woke up to find herself in Hong Kong with two years having elapsed. Similarly, this movie has her character of Jenna Rink (hmmm... Jenna-Rink - close to "generic"... are writers Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa trying to tell us something?) waking up to find herself in a strange apartment with 17 years having elapsed, and in both cases she discovers things about what she got up to in the intervening time that aren't to her liking. The resemblance ends there, however - well, barring the odd bit of (metaphorical) backstabbing, romance and so on.
And barring further confirmation that she's less lost on the big screen than several in her position; not only does this play like a real movie and not a custom-built vehicle, but her charm and playing keep the movie going (for all of the good points of "Alias," it doesn't take as much advantage of her warmth as this does). Not that the dimpled one doesn't have any support from Mark Ruffalo as her childhood friend-turned-adult photographer and Andy Serkis as her editor, and not that she isn't initially a bit over the top as the child-adult... but she clicks the moment she exults over getting to ride in a limo (which fortunately isn't too long in screen time after her wish has come true), and Jennifer continues to put doubt at bay throughout the rest of the movie; from her exuberance in the "Thriller" scene (bonus: Serkis moonwalking... Sydney Bristow and Gollum shaking their moneymakers on the dance floor!) to her sorrow when she makes a horrible discovery about herself, it's very much her movie.
I fear this review might turn into what Americans call a "mash note" to Jennifer Garner, so before I get into how justified her boyfriend's nickname for her is, let's talk about the rest of the movie. It's got some awkward ways of setting Jenna up as a teen of the 1980s, which get in the way of the effect; though she's 13 in 1987, the most prominent tunes associated with her are Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl," Pat Benatar's "Love Is A Battlefield" - not only does she quote it in conversation, but it plays over the end credits - and the aforementioned "Thriller"... all of which came out well before 1987 (we hear her singing Wang Chung's "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," which makes much more sense for a 13-year-old girl in 1987).
But it's to be praised for avoiding the obvious get-out clause at the end, and it's never going to be confused for anything other than a warm-hearted, non-cynical comedy. Maybe a bit too warm-hearted (how many magazines do you know that regularly dump celebs in favour of "real" people?), but a charmer all the same, and one that'll keep Jennifer Garner fans going until "Elektra" and the new season of "Alias" arrive next year. (And enough Julia Roberts comparisons - JG can do comedy, but can JR do action?)
Oh yes, and her boyfriend's nickname for her? "Sweetbottom." I told you it was justified.
At the end of the second season of "Alias," Jenny's Sydney Bristow woke up to find herself in Hong Kong with two years having elapsed. Similarly, this movie has her character of Jenna Rink (hmmm... Jenna-Rink - close to "generic"... are writers Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa trying to tell us something?) waking up to find herself in a strange apartment with 17 years having elapsed, and in both cases she discovers things about what she got up to in the intervening time that aren't to her liking. The resemblance ends there, however - well, barring the odd bit of (metaphorical) backstabbing, romance and so on.
And barring further confirmation that she's less lost on the big screen than several in her position; not only does this play like a real movie and not a custom-built vehicle, but her charm and playing keep the movie going (for all of the good points of "Alias," it doesn't take as much advantage of her warmth as this does). Not that the dimpled one doesn't have any support from Mark Ruffalo as her childhood friend-turned-adult photographer and Andy Serkis as her editor, and not that she isn't initially a bit over the top as the child-adult... but she clicks the moment she exults over getting to ride in a limo (which fortunately isn't too long in screen time after her wish has come true), and Jennifer continues to put doubt at bay throughout the rest of the movie; from her exuberance in the "Thriller" scene (bonus: Serkis moonwalking... Sydney Bristow and Gollum shaking their moneymakers on the dance floor!) to her sorrow when she makes a horrible discovery about herself, it's very much her movie.
I fear this review might turn into what Americans call a "mash note" to Jennifer Garner, so before I get into how justified her boyfriend's nickname for her is, let's talk about the rest of the movie. It's got some awkward ways of setting Jenna up as a teen of the 1980s, which get in the way of the effect; though she's 13 in 1987, the most prominent tunes associated with her are Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl," Pat Benatar's "Love Is A Battlefield" - not only does she quote it in conversation, but it plays over the end credits - and the aforementioned "Thriller"... all of which came out well before 1987 (we hear her singing Wang Chung's "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," which makes much more sense for a 13-year-old girl in 1987).
But it's to be praised for avoiding the obvious get-out clause at the end, and it's never going to be confused for anything other than a warm-hearted, non-cynical comedy. Maybe a bit too warm-hearted (how many magazines do you know that regularly dump celebs in favour of "real" people?), but a charmer all the same, and one that'll keep Jennifer Garner fans going until "Elektra" and the new season of "Alias" arrive next year. (And enough Julia Roberts comparisons - JG can do comedy, but can JR do action?)
Oh yes, and her boyfriend's nickname for her? "Sweetbottom." I told you it was justified.