13 Going on 30 DVD Review:

For Jenna (Allen) growing up just couldn’t come quick enough so when thinks go drastically wrong on her 13th birthday, she makes a wish that she could be 30. The next morning she wakes up in a strange New York apartment, she has an ice hockey star as a boyfriend and she is hottest fashion editor in town. She isn’t little Jenna anymore, she’s thirty year-old Jenna Rink (Garner) New York’s latest success story.

Hating been a kid, wishing you were older and then waking up in the morning to find out that your wish has come true. Sound familiar?

‘13 Going On 30’ is simply ‘Big’ for girls but before you discount it as a way of cashing in on a idea that has been done to death over the years, this movie has one big plus point, Jennifer Garner. An actress who is known primarily for her action/drama roles shows her versatility as she excels in the lead role of Jenna. Garner breezes into the comedic, romantic lead with ease, capturing the innocence of the character superbly as she tries to fit into to the new millennium after literarily just stepping out of the 1980s. She effortlessly portrays the confused fish out of water with so much skill, it is hard to believe that you are watching the same person who plays Alias’s Sydney Bristow with such guile and strength.

Accompanying Jennifer in her comedy exploits is a very good supporting cast. Mark Ruffalo continues to excel be playing Jenna’s childhood best friend Matty, who feel out with her at high school. Matty is the insight into the seventeen years Jenna can’t remember and Ruffalo plays the part very well as the character’s feeling start flooding back. Judy Greer plays Lucy Wyman, Jenna’s high school rival but now best friend. She was a bitch at school and things don’t seem to have changed. Greer plays this character very well, making her instantly dislikeable. Andy Serkis continues to make waves with a good performance as Jenna editor at Poise magazine, Richard Kneeland.

The downside of the movie, aside from the glaringly obvious ‘Big’ comparisons is its complete girliness. This has to be one of the girliest movies you will ever see and it will be one that most people of the male persuasion will struggle to really enjoy, even if he is trying to impress on a first date for example. There are some funny elements, the Thriller dance is great but the ending is so sugary sweet that your teeth will feel like they are falling out of your head.

13 Going On 30 is a fun, sweet movie that every girl will love. This is a showcase for Jennifer Garner however that will put her in the leading lady super league and on this evidence it is a place where she deserves to be.

Star Rating = * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, this is a good transfer. Jenna’s New York fashion magazine world is vividly brought to life, with all the bright colours you’d expect. The sound quality is also very good, with the dialogue been crystal clear and the surround kicking in during the memorable Thriller scene.

BONUS FEATURES

Director’s Commentary
Director Gary Winick provides an informative and fun track for 13 Going On 30. He talks about making the movie from low budget features to a big Hollywood romantic comedy and how his last movie Tadpole got him the job. The talks about casting the movie and what it was like to shoot in LA and New York. He also reveals how he wanted to shy away from the usual rom-com clichés and fill the movie with ‘Indie’ ideals. This is an interesting commentary from a man who clearly knows what he is doing and has a real passion for film.

Producer’s Commentary
Producers Donna Roth, Susan Arnold and Gina Mathews come together to talk about 13 Going On 30. The trio talk about the influences behind the movie and how music sets the tone of the film. They talk about casting, getting the right actors to portray the younger versions of the main stars and how good an actress Jennifer Garner is, as well as been an extremely nice person. This is a very chatty and slightly girly commentary, especially when fashion comes up, from three women who clearly adore the movie.

Deleted Scenes (25.25 mins)

Entitled ‘Sparkle this’, ‘See a Doctor’, ‘Makeup/Lingerie montage’, ‘Meeting Pete Hansen’, ‘Original shopping montage’, ‘Striptease’, ‘No games at all’, ‘Walking with Trish’, ‘Pete visits Jenna’, ‘Sad Jenna montage’, ‘Alex break up’, ‘Slumber Party’, ‘Original Sparkle reveal’, ‘Jenna’s presentation’, ‘Matt doesn’t know’, ‘ Rainy walk’, ‘Real pain for sham friends’ and ‘Call from Mom/junk food/long cab ride’, these 18 deleted or alternative scenes are a mixed bag. With a commentary track or introduction we don’t know why some of these good scenes where actually removed.

Making a Teen Dream (18.52 mins)

Director Gary Winick, costume designer Susie Desanto and stars Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Samuel Ball, Andy Serkis, Alexandra Kyle and Christa B. Allen take you behind the scenes of the making of 13 Going On 30. The stars talk about what it was like working with director Gary Winick, Judy Greer’s improvisation and what Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo are like to work with. Each of the stars talks about their characters and the director reveals how hard it was casting the younger versions of the main stars. This is an above average featurette that offers a lot of insights into the movie.

Making a Teen Dream: Another Take (7.37 mins)

Director Gary Winick, producers Donna Roth, Susan Arnold and Gina Mathews and stars Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Samuel Ball and Christa B. Allen talk about how the 80s affected them, dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller and the soundtrack to the movie.

I was a Teenage Geek (8.01 mins)

Stars Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer and Samuel Ball reveal what they were like at 13. The featurette shows us images of Jennifer Garner as a band geek, Judy Greer with big glasses and braces on her teeth and Samuel Ball in his High School American Football team. The four of them talk about what High School was like for them and what they thought they where going to be at that age.

Bloopers (3.17 mins)

Watch a montage of goofs and gaffs by Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer and Andy Serkis.

Music Videos
Watch the music videos from 80s hits “Love is a Battlefield’ by Pat Benatar and ‘Jessie’s Girl’ by Rick Springfield

Video Gallery (2.01 mins)

A montage of behind the scenes images and production stills from 13 Going On 30

Trailers
Watch the theatrical trailer for 13 Going On 30 and previews of Christmas with the Kranks, Little Black Book, Spider-Man 2 and 50 First Dates

OVERALL

Columbia/Tristar have done a good job with the 13 Going On 30 DVD. Two good commentary track and plenty of behind the scenes material combine to make this a very well packaged single DVD. While a commentary track or introduction to the deleted scenes would have been welcomes, fans will be very happy with this release.

DVD Star Rating = * * *

Jamie Kelwick

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