The Game Plan

The Rock fumbles in family-friendly comedy

By Geoff Berkshire

September 28, 2007

 
Critic's Rating:
2

The Game Plan
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Madison Pettis in "The Game Plan" (Credit: Ron Phillips/Disney)
Photos:
A scene from the film "The Game Plan." A scene from the film "The Game Plan." On the set of the film "The Game Plan." On the set of the film "The Game Plan."
The Game Plan
Running time:
110 minutes
Rated:
PG
Cast:
Dwayne ``The Rock'' Johnson -
Joe Kingman
Madison Pettis -
Peyton Kelly
Kyra Sedgwick -
Stella Peck
Roselyn Sanchez -
Monique Vasquez
Morris Chestnut -
Travis Sanders
See full cast
Director:
Andy Fickman
Genre:
Family, Comedy
Official Movie Web Site:
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/gameplan/
Movie Trailer:
View Trailer
Overall User Rating:
4 1/2 (27 ratings)
Write a review
Self-absorbed football star Joe "The King" Kingman (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is shocked when the daughter (Madison Pettis, “Cory in the House”) he never knew he had turns up on his doorstep. No one who's ever seen a movie before will be shocked when the adorable eight-year-old shows him there's more to life than supermodel girlfriends and multi-million dollar endorsement deals.

Big question: When your life is all supermodel girlfriends and multi-million dollar endorsement deals who really wants an eight-year old screwing up the fun?

Skip it: Every bit as painful as the trailers and ads suggest, this “Game Plan” comes from such a routine playbook that it would feel more at home on the Disney Channel than in theaters. Whether or not an unexpected shift to generic family-friendly territory boosts The Rock’s flagging film career (à la Vin Diesel in “The Pacifier”), this is just one more in a long line of creatively bankrupt choices for the former wrestler.

Catch it: To see how Kyra Sedgwick (“The Closer”) and Roselyn Sanchez (“Without a Trace”) spent their hiatuses away from their hit TV shows: as Kingman’s greedy agent and ballet teacher love interest, respectively. Fortunately they both have the small screen to fall back on.

Bottom line: If Steve Martin (“Cheaper by the Dozen”) and Eddie Murphy (“Daddy Day Care”) can’t make these PG-rated assembly-line comedies any fun, what chance does The Rock have?

Bonus: At least the movie has a few educational benefits: it’ll teach kids the correct pronunciation of Chanel and creative new uses for a BeDazzler. But we’re pretty sure they could get the same information by watching Bravo.

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