The Game Plan (2007) Walt Disney Pictures
1 hr. 25 mins.
Starring: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Madison Pettis, Kyra Sedgwick, Roselyn Sanchez, Morris Chestnut, Gordon Clapp, Kate Nauta, Paige Turco
Directed by: Andy Fickman
This film is rated: PG

Rating: ** stars (out of 4 stars)

Disney does all that it can to go out for the short pass but drops the ball in the fluffy-minded sports comedy The Game Plan. Actually, director Andy Fickman's jubilant jockstrap laugher isn't a bad family fare premise for former wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. However, The Game Plan pretty much turns out to be another formulaic "tough-guy-becomes-humbled-by-a-cute-kiddie" vehicle. Granted that Disney flicks have no choice but to wallow in its saccharine-coated sentiments considering the targeted diminutive audience at hand. Still, Game should try to overcome its conventional confines and serve up more than its routine penchant for gimmicky machismo mockery at the expense of a little wonder's sudden appearance.

From ditties such as Mr. Nanny to The Pacifier, the same tired pattern applies when an iconic manly specimen (as in the aforementioned Nanny's Hulk Hogan or Pacifier's Vin Diesel) pokes fun at their rough-and-ready image for the sake of juvenile-sized jocularity. Well Johnson playfully steps into this role as it is tailor-made for the chiseled performer. For starters, Johnson was a college football star and certainly enjoys his swagger and popularity as an athletic entity that brought him from the pop cultural beginnings of WWE's Vince McMahon's outrageous squared circle to the Hollywood arena of action-packed flicks. The universal appeal of "The Rock" is steadily realized and he adds some flavored zip to this family-oriented farce. Basically, we've seen this premise countless times before. Sappy and simplistic, The Game Plan belongs on the sidelines of stale cotton candy creativity.

Fickman and screenwriters Nichole Millard and Kathryn Price (based on a story by Millard, Price and Audrey Wells) doesn't craft distinctively what amounts to be another predictable scenario regarding a hot shot sports figure and the random spreading of his seed among faceless women that have come across his path. In this case, Boston's cherished high-ranking NFL quarterback Joe Kingman (Johnson) is excused for his baby-making "surprise" since he was married and divorced several years ago. We're introduced to Kingman as a flamboyant and high-on-the-hog living gridiron celebrity. Kingman's immensely likable and his quirks are something to behold. He has his loyal pet bulldog Spike for companionship. Plus, Kingman is an avid Elvis Presley fanatic. However, Joe Kingman's life will take a shocking turn when his past comes back to interrupt his glamorous lifestyle in Beantown.

Enter the charming tyke Peyton (played by Madison Pettis). Peyton shows up at her superstar father's doorstep for a visit while her mother travels to Africa for some personal business. This isn't the best time for Kingman to play "instant daddy" when he is preparing for the upcoming big championship game. Besides, minding the likes of Peyton takes a toll on the free-wheeling Kingman and his everyday playful shenanigans. Kingman enlists his straight-laced manager Stella (Kyra Sedgwick) to assist him in caring for the adorable but meddlesome Madison. Heck, half the time Stella has to keep an eye on her high-priced client so she's up against the wall with this newly formed father-daughter connection.


Stella fears that Kingman's product-endorsing value may diminish if the public finds out about his "secret" young offspring. So Kingman must try to contain the impetuous Madison while clumsily trying to adjust to fatherhood and partake in his daughter's existence. The heralded passer does try to perform his fatherly duties. For instance, he accompanies Madison to her ballet lessons where he consults with the school's attractive instructor Monique (Roselyn Sanchez). Monique encourages Kingman to become part of the troupe thus making it more possible for him to relate with the pesky Madison.

As one can imagine, Kingman awkwardly bonds with Madison while going through all sorts of merry-minded mayhem. Madison records her kiddie programs over Kingman's football games as the guys try to watch good old NFL bone-crushing action. Madison dresses up Kingman's four-legged pal Spike in a tutu. Other off-kilter encounters ensue as Kingman and his "baby girl" go back and forth and trade ridiculing mishaps. Kingman is smooth but klutzy. Madison, on the other hand, is manipulative and opportunistic in her precocious skin. Can Kingman get his act together as both a hands-on father to Madison and the treasured football hero that his New England-based followers have come to pin their winning hopes on?

Johnson is the main ingredient that makes The Game Plan entertainingly palatable. In fact, "The Rock" is a versatile performer that can captivate audiences with his brawn and brash persona. His top-draw attraction during his WWE heyday no doubt would seal his welcomed invitation to the big screen. Johnson has proven his worth as an in-demand, impish entertainer that can grind his teeth in action-pack flicks and comedy features. If Game were not as drippy or dingy in its inert presentation then Johnson would have convincingly elevated this marshmallow fable beyond its mawkish shell. With this Disney ditty as part as his cinematic resume', Johnson will continue to flourish into a bigger-than-life movie maker-and-shaker.

As the spirited little gal with the fresh face to boot, Pettis's Madison Kingman is okay but she's an average reminder of many talented kid prodigies that have expressed a willingness to be naughty and sweet-toothed at the same time. When serving as Johnson's pint-sized foil, Pettis is passable and does possess the interminable cuteness necessary to win over the mushy factor. Of course youngsters will be smitten by the beloved bulldog known as Spike--another insurance policy that will garner some easy-made sentimentality to this chewy, sugar-coated story.

Let's face it...The Game Plan isn't a total embarrassment. It suffers from a familiar theme and the Disney-esque hokum that bombards a majority of these family-induced films. We may smell what The Rock is cooking comically but his feeble "game plan" is in need of a fresher recipe for hearty yards and yucks.

Frank Ochieng
@ World Voice News (2007)