Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney as we continue our Mermaid event here as we look at the Disney Channel Original Movie, The Thirteenth Year. This movie is interesting in that you don't really see these kinds of movies on Disney Channel these days. A somewhat modern fantasy style movie. Now obviously, this isn't something like Harry Potter where the fantastical elements are a large part of the story being told. Here, however, it's more or less an element of the movie that feels as though it was just natural to be an element in this movie. I also kind of have to laugh as I had two thoughts while watching this movie, first that it was a metaphor for puberty. And the movie addressed that point and said no, there's more than just puberty going on here. So, sometimes a kid going through magical changes to their body is just that. And that some of the elements that the protagonist were showing off in this movie seemed to be reminiscent of Spider-Man. And my main point of reference for this comparison was Sami Raimi's Spider-Man
But I dismissed this point as Raimi's film was released in 2002 and this movie was first aired in 1999. So, I just dismissed that as a coincidence but the movie actually addressed the idea that the powers that our protagonist, Cody was exhibiting his powers and having them tested, he made a Spider-Man reference himself. So, okay then. But that does beg the question, is this movie any good? It's fine. That's all I got to say about it. With that outta the way, let's get to the plot.
The Plot
I pretty much gave you the gist of the plot here in the introduction and I hate bringing up another reference point here but one could compare what goes on with the character of Cody to that of the 90s reboot of Sabrina The Teenage Witch.
There's not a whole lot of meat here to break down this film as it's not something I love or something I hate. Let's give you the basics, it opens many years before our movie takes place as a couple that runs a touring boat company is out working and a mermaid has been spotted by a fisherman and the mermaid leaves her baby on the boat of the touring couple and we flash forward to many years later and we see that Cody is one of the most popular kids at his school and he's on the swim team. Of course, and he is a very adept swimmer. Right around, his 13th birthday, he starts to exhibit these strange aquatic powers that are the start of the changes that he is experiencing. So, he goes to Jess, school science nerd that happens to be the son of the fisherman that saw Cody's birth mother all those years ago and he agrees to run tests on Cody in exchange for Cody teaching Jess how to swim. After running the tests, Jess comes to the conclusion that Cody is turning into a merman and this is where the Sabrina comparison comes in.
Jess researches some of Big John's notes and learns that merpeople can live amongst humans until the thirteenth year after their birth, which is when their biology will forcibly try changing them into their aquatic forms. Cody also starts having dreams of swimming underwater without needing to hold his breath and that there is something in a light he must find.
Which is a fine touch and it works pretty well overall. Oh, Cody also starts to have strange dreams about swimming underwater without the necessity of holding his breath. These dreams really seem to be his birth mother calling out to him. Kinda weird that she can't verbally communicate and she doesn't have a name. Cody's parents and Jess suggest that he stays away from water. Which yeah, doesn't work out. Oh, and did I forget to mention that Cody's girlfriend Sam, who is barely in the movie is freaked out, understandably so, when she sees the changes but then we have the obvious make-up at the end. The big climax comes when Cody sneaks out of the house and goes to the swim meet and then heads to the beach and finally spots his mother for the first time but has to trick Jess's dad because he wants to capture her. And while this is going, Cody's feet are turning into fins and the final changes are finally taking place. And then the film basically ends with Cody's adoptive parents letting Cody go with his birth mother so he can learn more about his mermaid DNA.
Yeah, this really a nothing movie. It's not bad but there is really a little a whole lot to sink one's teeth into with this film.
Characters
I'm not gonna spend a whole lot of time on these characters as they are just basically stock characters albeit likable stock characters. And yes, Dave Coulier of Full House does play the dad in this film. He's a better dad than Joey Gladstone.
Cody played by Chez Starbuck
Cody is just a decent character that you saw in a lot of 90s Disney Channel movies that was the nice jock that befriended the nerd.
Jess played by Justin Jon Ross
Jess is a nerd and that's it but he did have a good relationship with both his dad and Cody as the movie went on.
Sam played by Courtnee Draper
Sam was barely in the movie and kinda felt like something akin to Jennifer in Back To The Future Pt. II in that a girl character was included because they thought they needed one but they didn't really know what to do with her.
Big John played by Brent Briscoe
This movie could have been really interesting if it had delved a little more into how Big John (Jess's dad) had become a joke after claiming he saw a mermaid. You wouldn't need to do what the original Pete's Dragon did but there was something there that could have been explored and would have been really interesting.
Sharon and Whit Griffin played by Lisa Stahl and Dave Coulier
Cody had likable parents that really cared for him and would do what they needed to do for their son but there isn't a whole lot to them.
My Final Thoughts
It's a movie. It's not bad but it's not memorable either. It'll come and go as you watch it. Join me next time as we conclude our mermaid event by looking at Splash
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