Daddy ohne Plan

American football team Boston Rebels' star quarterback Joe Kingman (The Rock) has only two loves in his life - Football and Elvis Presley. Like all successful sports superstars at the top of their game, he's living the good life, with his swanky penthouse apartment fitted with the latest luxuries, a sportster that screams "Mo Jo(e)", and endless parties with beautiful women. But alas one fine day he finds little Peyton Kelly (Madison Pettis) at his doorstep, claiming to be his daughter, and thus putting the brakes in his fast life.

It's convenient to start weaving woeful family drama and comedy about the complete opposites being struck by Fate to live under the same roof. As the trailers would have suggested, everything comes off quite predictably, and at times you feel that such scenes where the young girl tosses Kingman's life upside down, to be a little too contrived, and mostly having fall flat at its attempts to be funny. When funny doesn't work, it switches gears to cute.

However, The Game Plan possesses a certain charm, helped in loads without a doubt by the charisma of Dwayne The Rock Johnson. WWE entertainers perform their craft perfectly in the wrestling ring, but extremely few have made the transition to the big screen almost seamlessly. Dwayne Johnson happens to be one of the lucky few, with his megawatt smile and very personable demeanour, bringing him across as the big buddy you would like to hang out with. And while we know he can do action - The Scorpion King, Rundown, Walking Tall and Doom, he has shown a range of his ability through dramas like Gridiron Gang, and comedy, with his extremely hilarious turn in Be Cool. In The Game Plan, he rolls all those into one without breaking a sweat, and this movie is almost single-handedly saved from the doldrums by resting itself on his broad muscular shoulders.

Gridiron Gang had American Football elements in it, though The Rock now crosses from being the coach to the star player. He's the action sports hero with trademark moves (every respectable star would have one of those), the arrogant himbo who let success go into his head, and through the movie, we see a transformation to sensitive dad. What you don't see The Rock do, is best kept under wraps as probably THE BEST SCENE in this movie, which you have to watch to bear witness. Talk about extreme flexibility! Some credit of course has to go to his co-stars in making the movie more palatable to a wider audience outside the fan base, though most of them, like Kyra Sedgwick as the bimbo, and Roselyn Sanchez as the hot latino instructor, are more caricatures without much personality injected, as expected. Madison Pettis shines in her role as the precocious kid, but sometimes she pouts too much and comes across more irritating than cute, though still managing to hold her own opposite Johnson. There are some heartwarming scenes between her and The Rock, and you'll probably be trying to hold back that teardrop.

This is still a star vehicle for Dwayne Johnson, and I hope that he will not ditch his action roles for drama or comedy, given a distinct lack of action movie stars that I humbly think he can fill. We all know how Arnie fared when he dabbled with comedy before going back to his Terminator roots, or Vin Diesel for that matter when he traded stunts for the milk bottle in The Pacifier. Filled with plenty of Elvis songs (director Andy Fickman is reportedly a fan) that you can hear Johnson serenade with, there are enjoyable moments in The Game Plan, and its predictable Zacherie sweet messages on family, determination and the likes, will no doubt make this movie achieve a decent box office success here.

As a fan, I can't wait for his debut in Get Smart, and crossing my fingers he'll be casted in the much rumored production of Shazam! as The Big Red Cheese!

In "The Game Plan" after being high-jacked to the mall by his 8 year-old daughter Peyton (adorable Madison Pettis) and her ballerina crew, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Superstar Quarterback Joe Kingman is held captive at a "Make Your Own Doll" shop. Roselyn Sanchez as Peyton's ballet instructor Monique arrives to the rescue. "The Rock", crammed in children's chair, is combing out the hair of the doll he made. "The Rock" humbly tells Monique, "Thanks for saving me…" Joe wistfully concedes that he is not at all good at this—being a Dad. Monique reminds him that women being better anyway, are better at this sort of thing. Then in a touching admission, she tells Joe that fathers are important in that they teach daughters courage, and "They make us brave." Director Andy Fickman's "The Game Plan" is surprisingly both touching and sweet. Sentimental is a given—if you have a problem with that, you need to crawl back under a rock, because the sunshine emerges shamelessly in "The Game Plan". "The Game Plan" works, because of The Rock's undeniable charm, and his natural chemistry with Madison Pettis.

Film critic Richard Roeper commented that The Rock has squandered the opportunity of being the next huge action star, with his recent roles. I don't think so. For one thing: Action star roles are not very interesting. The Rock is a smart guy, and he is choosing roles with career longevity in mind. The Rock's gift is light comedy. He is incredibly charming and has amazing comedic timing. Granted this comedy leverages the incongruity of his physicality and athleticism offset against cute little Peyton "P" and gorgeous Monique. The Rock is a strikingly handsome man, and standing 6'4" with the ripped body he is imposing. Note the great CGI work seamlessly covers his tribal tattoos. I am a huge fan of The Rock. Here in "The Game Plan" he is funny, charming, and charismatic. As cute and adorable as Madison Pettis is as P, The Rock is never over shadowed. His evolving relationship with Peyton is poignant and endearing. Pettis is stellar, not overplaying cute-- she just is. She also displays amazing restraint on the whole precociousness little girl deal. Although the audience is a little shaky on Peyton's real story, her mission to know her father (Joe) lands as genuine. Among the interview questions she asks trolling for the desired answer, "What is best thing that ever happened to you?" The initially selfish Joe says that it his limited collectors release of his athletic shoe. Wrong answer.

The Rock plays Joe Kingman, All-Pro Quarterback for the playoff bound Boston Rebels. He revels in his celebrity lifestyle. Joe is rich, good-looking, single, and lives with his bulldog Spike in his mega bachelor pad. His agent Stella (taut and hilarious Kyra Sedgwick) tells Joe, he is about to make "Tiger Woods money". He parties with supermodel Tatiana (good vapid Kate Nauta). He hangs with his player crew (hilarious Hayes MacArthur, Brian White, and Jamal Duff). Arrogant Joe mercilessly tells his wide receiver Sanders (solid and charming Morris Chestnut) that he needs to retrieve his "Man Card". That is the way Joe rolls. Joe is also a greatness poser. Joe is all "I am great. You're not." Joe's world immediately alters when little Peyton (Pettis) arrives at Joe's door, announcing that she is in fact his daughter. Peyton tells Joe that she is staying with him for 4 weeks while her mom is doing humanitarian work in Africa, and can not be reached by cell phone.

In recap, Joe is now a Dad, and leading his Rebels to the Super Bowl. Clearly he has a clue for only one of these responsibilities. Fortunately, Joe finds a dance school for little ballerina Peyton. To his utter disbelief the instructor Monique (beautiful and feisty Roselyn Sanchez) has no idea regarding Joe's celebrity. Monique soon enrolls Joe into his responsibility as a parent. The resulting aftermath is Joe's participation in a ballet production. There is a hysterical scene as Monique hands Joe his ballet tights. Joe dismisses, "Oh, no! I am a freakishly large man!" Will Joe knock it off, and surrender to his innate greatness becoming a leader for his team and a loving father for Peyton? No worries. Thankfully "The Game Plan" is a Disney Pictures movie. "The Game Plan" is also the rarity in contemporary times—a family movie that is smart, sentimental, sweet, and all heart. The Rock is awesome. In my older age I'll embrace cheesy and sentimental, when stories celebrate the very best in people. Take a chance on "The Game Plan".

Personally, it was the trailers that made me want to see this movie from the start. Let's get serious, this was not supposed to be 'Shindler's List' or something. It's a comedy about a football player! If anyone expected anything more they were deluded from the start. "The Rock" was very decent in this role, but he wasn't supposed to be the superstar of the film, just the superstar of the team -- that a big difference. Pettis was amazing, as was Kyra Sedgwick. And the team...the team of knucklehead football players stole the show in every scene they were in. The comedy had its slapstick moments but for the most part it was heartfelt and warm. I took my 7 and 6 year old daughters to see and they loved it. Definitely a must-see family film and certainly a DVD buy!

This film was very good. A great family movie with the only purpose of entertaining people with that unique touch that only Disney can give. It has a very simple yet enjoyable story about a famous football player who's life is all about football, parties, women and his dog apparently a very good life but also a very lonely one when someday a girl appears at his door telling that he is her dad and there's where he must learn how to be a parent and at the same time to live. The cast is good. The Rock proves that he is more than an action hero, he also can do comedy in a very good way, the little girl Madison Pettis is so cute and his acting is great, she looks very natural. Roselyn Sanchez delivers a good supporting role as the girl's ballet teacher and Kyra Sedgwick although it was a short performance it was also very convincing. In conclusion, a very good family that you will enjoy

Well, I got to see this tonight as a sneak preview. I went in excited because the trailer cracked me up and wasn't disappointed. It was cute. Some of the lines are corny but some of it was serious stuff. You get to see some emotion from Johnson. The beginning cracks you up, you see this guy basically in love with himself trying to make it to the big one of his football career when he has a little girl thrust upon him. He doesn't know what to do, how to handle her. I think that the background relationship with his father could have been fleshed out a little better,you only get a hint of it, but otherwise it was a good movie. Some of the parts are HILARIOUS!! The little girl in the movie has got definite attitude and it cracked me up. Overall it was a decent movie, a good one to see.