TOOTH FAIRY. The ex-wrestler and action movie star formerly known as "The Rock" has turned to making kiddie friendly films. The rot started with Disney's The Game Plan, so I was not sure what to expect from his latest film Tooth Fairy. But it was surprisingly enjoyable. Dwayne Johnson plays Derek Thompson, a minor league ice hockey player who has earned the nickname "The Tooth Fairy" because of his aggressive style of play that often leaves opposition players bleeding a missing a tooth. But Derek is something of a cynic and he ruthlessly crushed the dreams of many young fans asking for advice. But when he tells his girl friend's young daughter that there is no such thing as the tooth fairy, he is in for a rude awakening. He is summonsed to Fairy Land, and sentenced to serve two weeks as a real tooth fairy. He is issued with his own wand, wings and blue tights, which lead to some embarrassing moments for the macho man. Derek is shown the rules of his job by his handler Tracy (Stephen Merchant, from the UK version of The Office, etc), who himself yearns to become a fairy one day. At first Derek is reluctant to take his role seriously, but eventually he warms to his task and by the end of his tenure he is a changed man, and has even rediscovered his own forgotten dreams. Thompson also has to deal with the brash young new star of his hockey team (played by skateboarding champ Ryan Scheckler), with whom he establishes a rivalry. A number of writers have fashioned the screenplay, but it has been further polished by veterans Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, the pair whose previous films include Night Shift, Splash, City Slickers, etc. While it may not be their best effort it does provide some cheap laughs and a few good gags. The sight of Johnson in wings and a tutu is quite funny. In the past Johnson has shown himself to be both a good sport and quite adept at light comedy, with roles in films like Be Cool and Get Smart that allow him to play against type. Who else would you cast as the stern but ultimately soft-hearted fairy godmother but Julie Andrews? She is perfectly cast here and is wonderfully prim and proper and straight laced, and her appearance helps us swallow this premise. Billy Crystal also has a small role as the provider of various potions that Derek may find useful. He is to fairies what Q is to James Bond, but he has rarely been this funny for ages. Director Michael Lembeck is a veteran of television, but he has also directed the two Santa Clause sequels and is familiar with this mix of fantasy and wish fulfillment. Tooth Fairy delivers some positive messages about the importance of dreams and childhood innocence amongst the laughs and the special effects. It's a film that holds something to appeal for all ages.
Review of Tooth Fairy
