Suddenly 30

Cast: Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis, Kathy Baker, Phil Reeves, Christa B. Allen, Sean Marquette
Director: Gary Winick
Writer: Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Rated: PG sexual references, low level coarse language, drug references
Running Time: 98 Minutes

For Some, 13 Feels Like It Was Just Yesterday. For Jenna, It Was.

Synopsis:Jennifer Garner ('Daredevil', TV's "Alias") and Mark Ruffalo ('Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind') star in this hilarious flash-forward romance about a pre-teen girl who goes from geek to glamorous. With the help of some magic wishing dust, 13 year-old Jenna Rink (Garner) becomes 30 and gorgeous overnight, with everything she ever wanted, except for her best friend Matt (Ruffalo). Now, this grown woman must create some magic of her own to help the little girl inside find the true love she left behind.

My Verdict:
'Suddenly 30' is a lightweight romantic comedy fuelled mainly by the antics of Jenna Rink (Jennifer Garner) who wishes with an almighty passion on her 13th birthday that she could become 30 and flirty. She wakes the next morning to discover that she is 30 and it comes with all the trappings, many of which she soon discovers she's not ready for. Jennifer Garner, as Jenna, is so happy and perky in this movie that it's hard to believe her disbelief at being 30 sometimes, overacting many of the so-called unbelievable moments. She learns that she has become a super-bitch, discarding people along the way, including her parents, on her path to becoming a successful magazine editor of 'Poise', the magazine that inspired her wish at 13. As an editor she was ruthless and stopped at nothing to achieve success, but now she doesn't like this Jenna and wants to resurrect the Jenna she once knew.

Mark Ruffalo is Matt Flamhaff, Jenna's childhood friend. Mark has the nice guy roles down pat, so well that he doesn't seem to change from one film to the next. His character was so nice that sugar-sweet doesn't even come close to describing it - a bit more bite was sorely needed. Mark and Jennifer do work well together and they at lest have some genuine chemistry. The rest of the cast are a mixed bunch - the gay editor-in-chief, the childhood adversary who is now an ally, the very average assistant amongst others. The movie just happens without too much angst and without really trying but that's ok considering it's only meant to be a nice piece of fluff.

'Suddenly 30' is a chick flick full of sugar and spice and all things nice. Trouble is that it is sometimes too nice and too predictable.

Rating : C+

Christina Bruce


Review:
For those Jennifer Garner & Alias fans you will love this. Her face tells a story and although it's a fairly predictable movie, that's ok, she plays it well. Feel good, light-hearted entertainment for a good night out.
Michelle Warmuz