“The Game Plan” (Walt Disney Pictures)
The Rock and the Pebble
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars in a new Disney comedy that has every reason just to be another predictable, too cute film. “The Game Plan” centers around a “star” football player who suddenly finds out he has a seven-year-old daughter. She wins him over with her charm and sweetness. Sounds simple but it isn’t. Somewhere along the way the movie wraps the audience up with its story and makes them care about these characters. What should only be so so entertainment becomes a totally enjoyable film.
Joe Kingman (Johnson) is a man obsessed with sports – rather with his sport which is football. He is the main focus of the fans as he leads his team, The Boston Rebels, to win after win. He is handsome, rich and a good time guy. He doesn’t have a care in the world except to stay in good shape and keep winning games.
But all of that changes when one day his doorbell rings and he finds a seven-year-old girl there. She says she is his daughter Peyton (Madison Pettis), and has a birth certificate to prove it. Her mother, Joe’s ex-wife, is in Africa and Peyton is Joe’s responsibility for a month.
The movie covers Joe’s transformation over this one month period. He is helped in this change over by Peyton and her ballet teacher Monique Vasquez (Rosalyn Sanchez). His teammates also join the fun as well as his agent Stella Peck (Kyra Sedgwick)
The key to the success of the film is the relationship between Joe and Peyton. Johnson manages to make Kingman completely dislikable in the early scenes, and Peyton is almost too cute. But then both of them begin to grow, and watching the transformations and believing the transformations makes the movie fun, funny and heart-warming.
Dwayne Johnson continues to grow as an actor. In this film he is a good comic as well as a total leading man. He is very romantic opposite Sanchez and very paternal regarding Pettis. The film is about a variety of relationships and Johnson helps make them all credible.
Pettis could easily be one of those sickeningly sweet child actors but somehow she knows just where to draw the line on her bright smile and adorable actions. You never tire of her in this film and that is saying a lot since she is in just about every scene.
Sedgwick creates a character who is light years away from her role on “The Closer.” Stella is self-centered and career obsessed, and her funny moments are unintentional. Sedgewick absolutely nails this role. Sanchez doesn’t get to be funny but she does get to look beautiful and act winningly. She is perfect casting opposite the Rock.
The film is rated PG but there is nothing offensive in the film.
“The Game Plan” trailer may have turned some people off with its sweet look and cutesy man and daughter story. But it is much more than this, and is a movie families can enjoy together. You may think you aren’t going to like it but take a chance. It might just win you over too like it did me.
I scored “The Game Plan” a touchdown 6 out of 10.
