Teens, tweens will just love 'Aquamarine'

It's clear who is supposed to respond to the flick.
By BETSY PICKLE
SCRIPPS HOWARD
"Aquamarine" is going for a very specific target market -- say, 7- to 13-year-old girls and their mothers, aunts and grandmothers. Oh, the odd father or young brother may slide in, but the movie makes no apologies for catering to the girls' club.
The main thing to consider in deciding whether "Aquamarine" is for you is, do you like perky, teenage mermaids? Other questions include but are not limited to:
Do you own an Emma Roberts or JoJo CD?
Do you watch "Darcy's Wild Life"?
If you answered "no" to these questions, buy a ticket at your own peril.
"Aquamarine," based on the novel by Alice Hoffman, is about best friends Claire ("Unfabulous" star Roberts) and Hailey (singer JoJo, a/k/a Joanna Levesque). The rising eighth-graders are dreading the end of summer because it will mean the end of their innocuous stalking of Raymond (Jake McDorman), the cutest lifeguard on their Florida beach, and the departure of Hailey.
Hailey's divorced mom, Ginny (Claudia Karvan), a marine biologist, has accepted a job in Australia (where the film was shot), and soon Hailey will be on the other side of the world.
Things change
Claire is an orphan who lives with her grandparents, who own and operate the kitschy Capri Beach Club. After a violent storm, the girls find Aquamarine (Sara Paxton of "Darcy's Wild Life"), a mermaid, in the club's swimming pool. At first they're shocked, but they quickly warm to her.
Aqua has swum away from home to rebel against an arranged marriage. Her father doesn't believe in love, but Aqua does, so he lets her have three days to prove it's not a myth.
When Aqua sees Raymond, she chooses him as the object of her affection, but Claire and Hailey have to help her steer a course through an unusual set of romantic obstacles.
Naturally, there's a self-centered rival, Cecilia (Arielle Kebbel), trying to get in Aqua's way. But with Aqua promising to grant a wish for them if they aid her, Claire and Hailey are bound to help their new friend win Raymond, even if they can't.
Screenwriters John Quaintance and Jessica Bendinger did their homework. They get the psyche of boy-crazed girls, right down to their herd mentality and volumes of teen magazines. Hailey and Claire might be a little more mature than the average tween, but they've been through a lot.
Losing her parents has made Claire scared of the world. Being uprooted has turned Hailey angry. Aquamarine, with her self-confidence, passion and loyalty, is a great role model.
Roberts has natural acting chops, courtesy of dad Eric and aunt Julia. The family resemblance is eerie. Levesque, who's a bit stiffer, looks oddly like Lindsay Lohan Jr. Paxton is funny and makes the fantasy seem believable.
First-time director Elizabeth Allen finds the perfect tone to balance the serious themes and lighter material. "Aquamarine" is a good catch -- for the right audience.