13 Going on 30Movie Reviews

So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 57 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
12 OK for kids 12+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 91
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    The rare commercial comedy that leaves you entranced by what can happen only in the movies. Read full review

  • 88
    Premiere | Peter Debruge

    Nearly perfect in its own cotton-candy way. Read full review

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick 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

  • 75
    New York Daily News | Jami Bernard

    An unexpected pleasure, a buoyant comedy that will make you feel young again. Read full review

  • 75
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Carrie 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
    ReelViews | James Berardinelli

    Solidly entertaining. Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    Amusing, charming and pleasantly nostalgic. Read full review

  • 70
    The Hollywood Reporter | Kirk 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
    Wall Street Journal | Joe Morgenstern

    Isn't the best romantic comedy one might wish for, but it's more than good enough. Read full review

  • 63
    Boston Globe | Wesley Morris

    It's looking for comedy and romance in the obvious places. Read full review

View more reviews for 13 Going on 30 on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 12+ Touching and hilarious Jennifer Garner romcom.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this gentle romantic comedy will appeal to older kids, tweens, teens (especially girls), and grown-ups, too. There are messages about popularity, values, and being true to yourself, delivered with insight and humor. Because the story places a 13-year-old girl in the body of a 30-year-old, the heroine's reaction to sexual situations is exaggerated and meant to be funny:  "boob" talk, the beginnings of a striptease, a married man making a pass, mistaking sexual games for childhood board games, and finding a naked man in her apartment (no actual nudity). Characters flirt, kiss, wear some revealing clothes, and use mild profanity and sexual language ("jump your bones," "thingy" (referring to a man's unseen penis), "Are you gay?" "bitch," "hell"). There's some drinking (the lead enjoys that part of being a grown-up); marijuana and some mind-altering drugs are mentioned.
  • Families can talk about how being a grown-up may be different than it appears to a child. What was the biggest surprise for Jenna?
  • Can you think of some other movies that use switching bodies as a plot device?
  • Families might also want to talk about the way middle-schoolers treat one another and how to make sure that you don't grow up with the kind of regrets that Jenna does. Is/was there a "6 Chicks"-type group in your school?
The good stuff
  • message true4 Positive messages: When 13 Going on 30 opens, 13-year-old Jenna is driven to be popular, and have what she wants at any cost ("I don't want to be original; I want to be cool.") Getting an unexpected look at herself at age 30 shows her that it's far more important to be kind, generous, honest, and true to your own values and talents. And, she begins to understand that by making mistakes, she will learn how to make things right.
  • rolemodels true4 Positive role models: Viewers take a journey with Jenna as she goes from being a self-centered, awkward girl willing to do anything to be liked by the "in" group to an independent-thinking, unselfish, and ethical young woman who becomes immune to peer pressure. Parents are supportive, understanding, and loving. The world of magazine publishing is presented as cutthroat, shallow, and materialistic. There's one featured gay player, little ethnic diversity.  
What to watch for
  • violence false1 Violence: The leading lady forcefully pushes a man away from her and follows with a kick to the crotch.
  • sex false2 Sexy stuff: Lots of double-meanings, sexual references, humorous sexual moments. It's all in fun as an innocent 13-year-old is unexpectedly thrust into adult situations. She discovers a naked man in her apartment (no actual nudity; she holds up an umbrella to cover him); squelches a pass from a married colleague; appreciates her new womanly body and sexy clothing; inappropriately flirts with a young tween boy; and ends up in a new acquaintance's apartment thinking the games he wants to play are Monopoly and Battleship. There's some romantic kissing. One featured character is gay.
  • language false2 Language: "Bulls--t," "Holy Christ," "damn," "ass," "bitch," "jump your bones" and some bodily references ("testicles," "balls," "butt" and "thingy" referring to a penis).  
  • consumerism false2 Consumerism: Visuals of: Fed Ex, Bloomingdale's, Chanel, "For Dummies" books," Cole Haan, New York City's CBGB Club, shots of Times Square with some businesses identified. Razzles candy plays a role in the story. The games Battleship and Monopoly are mentioned.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false2 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Numerous scenes depict social drinking. The 13-year-old in a 30-year-old body has her first experiences with adult beverages, gets slightly tipsy. An underage girl talks about buying beer. Marijuana and a couple of illegal drugs are mentioned briefly.  
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

13 Going on 30 Movie Reviews + Ratings

Fans say

Go
14 fan reviews

Critics say

So-so See all critic reviews

13 Going on 30 Featured Trailers + Video Clips

Watch All Videos