13 Going on 30
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: April 23, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
57
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews
Positive:
20
Mixed:
15
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
The rare commercial comedy that leaves you entranced by what can happen only in the movies. Read full review
88
PremierePeter Debruge
Nearly perfect in its own cotton-candy way. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Solidly entertaining. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
While 13 Going on 30 is too formulaic to sustain the delicacy of emotion that gave "Big" its appeal, it has tour-de-farce moments that made screenwriters Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa's "What Women Want" such a monster hit. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerEllen A. Kim
Garner's vulnerable, winning performance strikes emotional chords (not to mention nostalgia) in this fantasy comedy. Read full review
75
USA TodayClaudia Puig
Amusing, charming and pleasantly nostalgic. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
An unexpected pleasure, a buoyant comedy that will make you feel young again. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
A charming, funny piece of wish-fulfillment for young girls -- and, if you're much older than that, a disturbing critique of modern male sexuality. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
The lanky action star of the cult television series "Alias" is assigned a tired playbook in this film, but she finds room to manoeuvre in a performance that exceeds expectations. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
The possibilities of Jenna's confusion are exploited for full comic effect. Garner, who turns out to be a charming, abandoned comedian, makes Jenna's incredulousness and innocence very funny and occasionally even touching. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
Does a good job of reviving stale material. Thanks to a snappy script by Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa and an effervescent performance by Jennifer Garner, this romantic comedy has a buoyant personality. Read full review
70
VarietyJoe Leydon
A star vehicle composed of second-hand parts that nevertheless gets great mileage (and big laughs) from its recycled plot. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Isn't the best romantic comedy one might wish for, but it's more than good enough.
70
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
If "13 Going on 30" isn't exactly original, it's still reasonably cool. Read full review
70
Washington PostSara Gebhardt
A film whose far-fetched foundation is overshadowed by the endearing story. Read full review
63
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Garner bounces around gleefully as the young spirit enveloped by this adult body. She's young enough herself to remember what it was like to be that age, and she has the vulnerability, zest and slightly over-the-top reactions of a seventh-grader. Read full review
63
New York PostJonathan Foreman
The filmmakers have an pleasurably accurate sense of the embarrassments that darken early adolescence and of the amazing cruelty of teenage girls. Read full review
63
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
The best thing about 13 Going on 30 is that an ever-game Jennifer Garner is cheerfully convincing as a 13-year-old in a 30-year-old body. The worst thing is the feeling we've seen this movie before, done better. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
It's looking for comedy and romance in the obvious places. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
Garner may be a study in butt-kicking intensity on TV's Alias, but here, she's an engaging comic performer who more than carries her share of what is essentially an unoriginal, mostly average film. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineAngel Cohn
Director Gary Winick serves up enough giddy fun that it's easy to turn a blind eye to the film's skewed sense of time and minor anachronisms. Read full review
60
SalonStephanie Zacharek
I was so charmed by the opening scenes of 13 Going on 30, and so entertained by the middle portion of it, that I had high hopes for its ending -- hopes that were cruelly dashed. Like a petulant 13-year-old, I'm still pouting over my disappointment. Read full review
60
EmpireOlly Richards
If there's a criticism to be made, it's that the script doesn't push itself far enough with the moments in which it excels. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
Cheers and many happy returns to Garner as she makes her first starring film role. She's the real deal. But jeers to every other aspect of 13 Going On 30. Read full review
50
Village VoiceJorge Morales
Anyway, the thirtysomething in me was all, gag me with a spoon, but the kid in me was like, this movie's rad to the max. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyScott Foundas
The director of 13 Going on 30, Gary Winick, was unable to infuse this material with either the sustained screwball cadences of his earlier "Tadpole" or an emotional resonance comparable to that of his superb "The Tic Code." Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMark Caro
Plays like it was made by people who are 30 going on 13. The movie is as flighty and mixed up as the adolescent girl at its center. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
You won't find a load of laughs in 13 Going on 30, but there's plenty of whimsy, which is a close cousin of genuine humor. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesManohla Dargis
The plot hinges on Jenna's horrified realization that her adult self is a witch, but 13 Going On 30 -- works foremost as a vehicle for its rising star. Read full review
50
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
The performances give the movie more flavor and life than the situation does; it often feels like prechewed Bubble Yum. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderAndrea Gronvall
Retreads a well-worn premise (Freaky Friday, Big) but the formula works, thanks in large part to star Jennifer Garner, who's so radiant theaters should be stocking sunblock. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Jennifer Garner is indeed a charmer, but she's the victim of a charmless treatment in 13 Going on 30. Read full review
40
Dallas ObserverRobert Wilonsky
What could have been an engaging, maybe even enlightening story about the unfairly high price a woman pays for conducting herself like a man winds up as nothing more than a worthless, harmless and ultimately charmless piffle. Read full review
40
Film ThreatPete Vonder Haar
Does it have its moments? A few, but those alone put it head and shoulders above similar offerings featuring, say, Julia Roberts. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarrit Ingman
The film lacks the emotional resonance that made "Big" such a sentimental favorite with audiences of all ages. Read full review
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