13 Going On 30

Watched 13 Going On 30 last night, holy SHIT. My new favorite teeny bopper movie! It's more than that though, it really is. I would classify if more as a romantic comedy, due entirely to Mark Ruffalo (well, Jennifer Garner might have helped a little). He is so perfect, he brings pathos and depth to what could very easily have been a two dimensional character. You can feel Matty's pain at having the love of his life, who destroyed him 17 years earlier, appear out of the blue, forcing him to deal with painful feelings long buried, but obviously still very close to the surface. (I related more to him than to Jenna, actually.)

Garner's enthusiasm brings great energy to the film, and the story is well-conceived enough to remain tight to the end and not overdo the sentimental stuff. The "anti-happy ending" before she gets zapped back to 13 (largely due to Ruffalo's push for it, according to the director in the special features) lends an emotional truth that makes it all feel very real. Jenna's new wish is granted and she gets a "do-over", but for a minute there I really thought she might be left at 30, forced to be deal with the consequences of her initial wish. In that version Matty would, of course, ditch his fiance at the altar, let's not get too crazy.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised. Dead-on casting for the kids, especially Jenna & Tot Tot's (tee hee) characters. Watching Andy Serkis play a real live person was a little weird. He reminded me of Rowan Atkinson, only less annoying. I like lots of dumb teenage-demographic stuff just for the romance, but I really think on the whole this was a decent movie.