13 Going on 30 ***

I'd like to start out this review by stating for the record that I've absolutely had it with movies and television programs set at fashion magazines. I have nothing against folks who do this for a living. I'm just tired of them, after "Just Shoot Me," last year's "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or Less" and now "13 Going on 30." I'm not sure, but I believe "Suddenly Susan" had a similar setting as well. I recognized some set pieces.

Anyone who has seen "Big," "Vice Versa," either version of "Freaky Friday" or their ilk will be familiar with the setup of "13." Jenna Rink is suffering the familiar pangs of adolescence. She doesn't fit in with the "cool" crowd, and her best friend Matt, who adores her, is the biggest nerd on campus. After a particularly painful thirteenth birthday party, she's spurned by the clique yet again and lashes out at Matt, setting the stage for a bit of movie magic.

She wakes up in Jennifer Garner's body and realizes that her fondest wish, gleaned from the pages of a favorite fashion magazine, has come true ... she has literally gone from thirteen to age thirty, and as luck would have it, has a hockey player in her shower and is an editor of the same magazine.

As the movie proceeds, Garner shines as the teenager suddenly thrust into adulthood with all the privileges and pressures that that entails. All the while, she's getting glimpses of the rotten jerk that she has become.

Andy Serkis chews the scenery as her editor-in-chief, bewildered by her behavior, but thrilled with her sudden inspirations. Serkis (Gollem in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy) begins the film seemingly as a cut-rate Tim Curry, but soon establishes himself as a solid supporting character.

Jenna goes home to reconcile with her parents (Kathy Baker, Phil Reeves) but surprisingly doesn't press Mom too much about her missing years. I guess if I were fortunate enough to forget all about puberty, I'd not dig too deeply either.

There's a sweetness about "13 Going on 30" that belies its familiarity. We care about Jenna and Matt, and the message about making decisions and the importance of mistakes is a good one. Mark Ruffalo is solid as the adult Matt, who never has quite gotten over Jenna, but has to be responsible for his decisions as well.

And much as "Starsky & Hutch" had us chuckling over our musical tastes in the 70s, "13" does the same with the eighties. Easily the best parts of the movie are when Jenna leads a crowd of extras in remakes of seminal eighties videos like "Thriller" and "Love is a Battlefield." Hmmmm. Wonder if I can still do "The Safety Dance."