Thirteen Going on Thirty 2004
This movie, while likable, pales in comparison to Big. A lot of the stuff is ripped directly from Big, including having her stand up through the sunroof of the limo while driving through downtown New York. But the movie is different enough that it certainly isn’t a remake. Jennifer Garner gives a decent performance but it seems forced at times. Also it is hard to make her look anything less than stunning, but they do just that for most of the movie. Mark Ruffalo who may have a hard time playing anything other than himself seems uncomfortable a lot of the time. While he’s probably a good actor, he is obviously struggling here. Most of the other characters are simple stereotypes.
The plot is very predictable and I have some problems with certain mechanics of the movie that I would have to save for spoilers since they relate to the ending. I will give the movie credit for not choosing the easiest possible ending.
I’m not saying this is a bad film. It is a nice lite romantic comedy that isn’t hard to sit through. I thought this movie about a fashion magazine was very much an equivalent of movies like last year’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (about ad executives) or 2002’s Sweet Home Alabama (fashion designer). If you liked those go see this one. But given the similarity I’ll have to give it the same grade I gave the others.
C+
Owned on: Digital