Average Game Plan by The Rock

October 1, 2007 —

The Game Plan is a surprisingly decent movie for being a Disney live-action comedy starring "The Rock." I was expecting a total flop, and it doesn't help that I'm rarely one for kid-oriented movies, but I actually enjoyed myself, if on a very low level.

Joe Kingman (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is an NFL quarterback, the star player of the fictional Boston Rebels. As the movie opens, we get glimpses of both his public and private life, as the super-rich Kingman entertains guests at his futuristic apartment. When he almost begs his teammates to stay, it becomes clear that this is a man who is lonely at heart.

It's unsurprising, though, that Kingman doesn't seem to have any close and emotional relationships. He's an egomaniac, reduced at times to watching television features about himself with his dog, Spike, and reciting interview lines along with his onscreen double.

Kingman's simple but unsatisfying life comes to a screeching halt when a little girl named Peyton (Madison Pettis) shows up at his door, claiming to be his daughter. He had no idea he had one, but she has the documentation to prove it (never mind that his name could not have appeared on the birth certificate without his consent).

From this point, Kingman has to compromise, apparently for the first time in his life. The scenes between him and Peyton work, though, despite their occasional logical inconsistencies. Johnson handles his role well, and although it's unlikely that he'll be seeing Oscars anytime soon, he's surely come a long way since cutting pro wrestling promos. An early scene in which he eats one of Peyton's cookies which has cinnamon in it (he's allergic) is actually hilarious, although it would have been better suited later in the movie, when it would have been funnier to see a more developed character in that situation.

Speaking of development, that is one of The Game Plan's strong points, as Kingman grows convincingly as a character throughout the movie. He's a very different person by the end of the film, and it's believable.

Don't get me wrong - it's also somewhat hackneyed in terms of the events that create this growth, but some suspension of disbelief is a given with a movie like this.

That is what I struggled with in evaluating this movie. The Game Plan is a foolish and immature film in a variety of ways, but I found myself liking it despite these faults. I think it's largely a result of Johnson's onscreen charisma, coupled with the chemistry between him and Pettis.

Kingman's personality quirks, like his obsession with Elvis (Get it? The King) help flesh him out as a character, enough so that his slowly developing romance with Peyton's ballet instructor actually works. A believable love interest in a children's comedy is a rare thing. And when he serenades Peyton after a furious argument, it makes for a sweet and sincere scene, and one that jars the movie back into motion after a fair amount of downtime.

There's a lot of silliness in The Game Plan, and some of it feels contrived, such as the incredible stupidity of one of Kingman's teammates. The nature of the movie prevents it from being great - it doesn't fully break out of the formula. That isn't to say, though, that it can't be enjoyable.