Film Details:
The Game Plan (U)
Family (2008) 110mins US
Director: Andy Fickman
Starring: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Madison Pettis, Roselyn Sanchez, Kyra Sedgwick, Morris Chestnut

Joe Kingman is at top of his game. A superstar quarterback for the Boston Rebels, Joe is single-handedly guiding his team towards the NFL championship play-offs. His carefully ordered world comes crashing down when eight-year-old Peyton Kelly turns up on his door-step claiming to be the daughter he never knew about. Abandoned by her mother for two weeks, Peyton needs somewhere to stay and Joe takes in the rosy-cheeked tyke, advised by his street-smart, greedy agent Stella that it would be a PR disaster to turn her away.

LondonNet Film Review
The Game Plan

Although the setting and underlying themes are contemporary - the corruptive allure of celebrity, the pressures of single parenthood, rampant materialism - The Game Plan is, at its soft, gooey heart, an old-fashioned Disney yarn extolling the virtues of the family unit...

Once again, the clash between the generations - which energized Freaky Friday, The Parent Trap et al - provides the comedic spark, pitting a hulking American footballer against his eight-year-old daughter. Humour is gentle and inoffensive, erring towards the obvious. When the cheeky tyke needs a soak, she invariably empties two bottles of bubble bath into the tub unleashing great clouds of white froth. The father's beloved bulldog, Spike, dons a tutu and nail polish to mirror the youngster's love of ballet and when the girl's end of term recital desperately needs a strapping male dancer, you just know that the macho father will squeeze into lycra to save the day, demonstrating his tender, feminine side in the process.

Wrestling star turned Hollywood action hero Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) demonstrates a flair for comedy, throwing himself into each misadventure with gusto, and there's a nice rapport with his diminutive and cute co-star, Madison Pettis.

Joe Kingman (Johnson) is at top of his game. A superstar quarterback for the Boston Rebels, Joe is single-handedly guiding his team towards the NFL championship play-offs, albeit with his usual brand of arrogance on the field. His carefully ordered world comes crashing down when eight-year-old Peyton (Pettis) turns up on his doorstep, claiming to be his long lost offspring. Abandoned by her mother for two weeks, who is on humanitarian duties in Africa, Peyton needs somewhere to stay and Joe takes in the rosy-cheeked tyke, to the chagrin of his agent Stella (Kyra Sedgwick).

At first, Joe struggles to adapt to parenthood, continuing to pursuing his party-going lifestyle and actually forgetting about Peyton at one bash. When the media threatens to eat him alive for his behaviour, Joe goes on the offensive by attending ballet lessons with his little girl, where he strikes up a friendship with fiery-tempered teacher Monique Vasquez (Roselyn Sanchez). As relationships blossom, Joe realises that while he loves the game of American football, he loves Peyton even more.

The Game Plan isn't shy about slathering on the mawkish sentiment, especially in the closing moments when Joe plays through the pain of an injury to guide the Rebels to their fairy-tale finale. Fickman directs with a light touch, straining credibility as much as possible, especially in the ballet recital, which sees Joe transformed from lumbering oaf to graceful performer in the blink of an eye. The character's obsession with Elvis leads to an end credits cast rendition of "Burning Love" and Johnson serenading Pettis with "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" As the brat rightly comments, "I think you're tone deaf and sound more like a wounded moose than The King."

- Jo Planter