Running Time: 1 hr. 50 min.
Rating: PG - some mild thematic
elements
Cast: Dwayne “The Rock”
Johnson, Madison Pettis, Kyra Sedgwick, Roselyn Sanchez, Morris Chestnut
Director: Andy Fickman
Genre: Comedy, Sports Comedy,
Family-Oriented Comedy
Shit it got me.
The acting was on par with The
Pacifier. I saw the plot twists coming a million miles away.
And, damn, if I didn’t start
tearing up at the end of The Game Plan.
Yes it got me. And it will
probably get you.
That says a lot for Dwayne “The
Rock” Johnson and actress Madison Pettis. They are just so enjoyable to watch
on screen together.
The Game Plan tells the story of
Joe “Never Say No” Kingman who is a tough, future hall-of-famer lacking a
championship ring. Turns out, Joe is a selfish quarterback, opting to run the
ball into the end zone himself, rather than throwing it to open receiver Morris
Chestnut. Joe, an avid Elvis collector, is just as selfish in his personal life
– living in an ultra-expensive apartment with wall-sized photos of himself and
furniture that is there for show, not to be sat on. Bring on the next
endorsement deal!
It’s not clear that even Joe’s
teammates like him that much – he gives Morris Chestnut, a family man, grief
when he leaves Joe’s party to go spend it with his fam. Joe makes a remark about his man card
being revoked, which clearly bothers Chestnut. Little does Joe realize but his players card is about to go
the same way.
Life changes for Joe when he gets
a call from the doorman downstairs. Apparently there is a cute girl ready to
come up and see Joe.
His daughter, Peyton. The one he
never knew about.
She tells Joe that her mother went
to Africa for a month and that she has to stay with him. Of course Joe calls a
“foul,” bringing in his bitchy agent played by an overly “bitchy” Kyra Sedgwick
to handle the situation.
Of course there is nothing Kyra
can do…if there were, that would be the end of the movie.
So we follow Joe, as he now has to
juggle his party lifestyle and career with Peyton’s life struggles such as
ballet, bedtime stories and dolls.
As Joe nears closer to the big
game, he learns that winning isn’t accomplished just with toughness and
determination. You also need to display selflessness and patience. Eventually
you will really win the hearts of your fans, teammates and most importantly,
your daughter.
Overall, I was mildly amused at
Joe and Peyton’s interaction, particularly the “bedazzling” of Joe’s MVP
football. I think Chloe and Max, my daughters, liked the over-the-top,
sequences. The Rock is absolutely
enjoyable to watch (my review for Southland Tales is coming). And I like that
he is stretching.
However, I feel like a movie such
as this should get made after his action hits are starting to sputter. I’m
still waiting for those. I also liked, and I don’t know if the audience even
realized this, that we were watching a bi-racial relationship unfold on screen.
In fact, I applaud it.
So bottom line, The Game Plan
breaks absolutely no new ground, but because of The Rock and Madison Pettis, it
is a nice light-hearted experience at the movies.
That will get you.
Damn, pass me a Kleenex.
TWO AND A HALF BALL POINT PENS