 It
makes sense that Razzles – those bite-sized sweets from the ‘80’s
that start off as candy and turn into crewing gum – play such
a key role in “13 Going on 30.” That’s because both explode with
a tangy burst of energy before losing their flavor and becoming
totally bland. The romantic comedy certainly succeeds in transforming
“Alias” star Jennifer Garner from a TV staple to a bona-fide movie
star, but otherwise, this by-the-numbers crowd-pleaser is so contrived,
manipulative and predictable that it could almost have written
itself.
The
year is 1987, and 13-year-old Jenna Rink (Crista B. Allen) is
fed up with being a kid. Her parents annoy her, the other kids
in school make fun of her and the cutest guy won’t give her the
time of day. All that changes on her birthday, when she makes
an earnest wish to grow up and be cool. Her prayers are answered
when she wakes up in 2004 to find herself as a gorgeous 30-year-old
woman (Jennifer Garner) with an exciting job and a famous boyfriend.
The problem is that she has no idea how she got there, and in
an effort to fill in the blanks, she learns the hard way that
you have to be careful what you wish for.
“13
Going on 30” may seem like an obvious knock-off of “Big” – Penny
Marshall’s hit comedy that earned Tom Hanks his first Oscar nomination
– but there are some interesting differences. Where Hanks grew
up overnight to find himself in the body of an adult, Garner wakes
up with no memory of her life for the past 17 years. It doesn’t
take long for her to realize that she doesn’t like the person
she’s become, so she decides to turn things around by killing
people with kindness.
On
a more ironic note, it’s worth mentioning that some of Garner’s
80’s passions are still making headlines, but for very different
reasons. It’s hard to watch her liven up a boring party with Michael
Jackson’s “Thriller” without thinking about how wacko Jacko has
become in the last decade, and it’s almost impossible to look
past Whitney Houston’s recent meltdown when “I Wanna Dance with
Somebody” starts blaring over the soundtrack.
After
gaining cult status on the small screen with “Alias,” Garner couldn’t
have asked for a better film to make her bid for big screen stardom
than “13 Going on 30.” She was smart to tread the waters with
a bit part in Steven Spielberg’s “Catch Me if You Can” and a strong
supporting role as Elektra in “Daredevil,” but Garner takes the
stale material here and makes it fresh with an irresistible breakout
performance. Comparisons are bound to be made to Julia Roberts
in “Pretty Woman,” which seems appropriate since Roberts would
have been perfect for this role a decade ago.
As
for the rest of the cast, Mark Ruffalo displays a cool, vulnerable
charisma that makes him instantly appealing as Garner’s long-lost
best friend, while Judy Greer is equally effective as the high-maintenance
socialite who turns on her. It’s also nice to see “Lord of the
Rings” star Andy Serkis, who chews the scenery as Garner’s uptight
boss without being covered by digital animation for a change.
“13
Going on 30” may have a plot that’s recycled from other movies,
and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how it’s
all going to end, but at least Jennifer Garner gives a vibrant
performance that makes it all worthwhile. She makes getting in
touch with your inner child look sexy as hell, and if nothing
else, there’s every reason to believe that the flavor of her next
movie will last for a long time…or at least, longer than a pack
of Razzles.
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