Director
Andy Fickman
Cast
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson………Joe Kingman
Kyra Sedgwick………Stella Peck
Morris Chestnut………Travis Sanders
Roselyn Sanchez………Monique Vasquez
Madison Pettis………Peyton Kelly
DVD Release Date: January 22, 2008
Rating: PG
Running Time: 110 Minutes
List Price: $16.99
The Movie
Joe Kingman had it all. He is the star quarterback for the Boston Rebels and can do no wrong in the eyes of the fans. His team is well on their way to the big game and he is leading them there with his golden arm and quick legs. Off the field he is a ladies man that could get anyone he wants whenever he wants. Joe also has all the money he needs from playing football and his endorsements so he never will have to worry for the rest of his life. Things could not go better and things could not get any easier. But, they can get a lot harder.
The big game is only weeks away and Joe is well on his way to finally getting the only thing that has eluded him in his career, a championship ring. He is focused and totally ready for the game and making sure that nothing gets in his way. Little did he expect to open his door one morning and see a little girl by the name of Peyton Kelly who claimed to be his daughter. A lot of disbelief followed by some questions and proof of a birth certificate turns into the biggest challenge Joe has ever faced in his entire life. Raising an eight year old little girl that he just met.
It’s a story that is quite simple and has been heard or seen many times before. A person has the greatest life and no worries until they: A.) Find out about a child that is theirs that they never knew existed, B.) Inherit some children that were entrusted to their care, or C.) Get custody of a child because someone died. It is the way these stories always go and you know the drill because chances are you’ve seen either Baby Boom or Three Men and a Baby. My argument here isn’t to say that this is a tired plot or one that has been beaten to death, but if you’ve seen one then you’ve seen them all.
The thing about The Game Plan is that while it is a rather amusing film at times that has some endearing qualities; it just tries to do too much. There are about two to three sub-plots happening while the main one of Joe and Peyton finally meeting is going on. Peyton is having to deal with her mother is away in Africa for a month and dropped her off to get to know her dad finally. There is a lot more to that story by the way, but I won’t spoil it for you. Then there is Joe having this romantic relationship start to blossom with Peyton’s ballet teacher. Finally there is the other major plot of Joe never winning a championship before. My God there is a lot going on and that’s the big reason I think this film got almost a two hour running time when it could have easily been told in ninety minutes.
I hate beating on this film because all in all, it was pretty good, but there was just so much wrong with it. Hearing Marv Albert announce football games hurt my ears because he just doesn’t do it much anymore, and let’s face it…he’s annoying. Also, you figure the filmmakers could have come up with some kind of name for the championship football game. Everyone constantly called it “the big game” or “the championship.” Even the logo for it had a Roman numeral number but no words on it. Lame.
The predictability is just so overwhelming for some of the plots that you can’t help but consider it cheesy when you finally get there. Although there were a few little plot twists that I never saw coming and that kept things interesting. Believe me, when you think you know what is going on with Peyton and her mom, you aren’t even close. That is what made The Game Plan much easier to keep watching instead of just turning it off and calling it “straight cornball.” It has a feel good quality about it and The Rock is humorous in his childish interactions with young Madison Pettis. Keep a close eye out for the training session scene in Joe’s weight room. The Rock arguing with Madison and walking out of the room mumbling “it’s all mine! My towel!” is just priceless.
The Video
The film is shown in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and looks really good, but most Disney releases usually do. The colors are bright and vibrant with no hint of any problems or anything ever being too dark.
The Audio
The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and also comes through great giving more to the viewing experience then just what you see on screen. All dialogue can be heard perfectly and the music, including a lot of “The King” himself Elvis Presley, is never too loud and comes through awesomely.
Special Features
Deleted Scenes – There are nine deleted scenes and some of them are actually kind of cute so not sure why all of them were left out. “Like Father, Like Daughter” is incredibly adorable and wouldn’t have hurt to keep it in, but alas it didn’t make it. They can be played separately or all in a row and with or without introductions from director Andy Fickman.
Bloopers With Marv Albert – These are your run of the mill bloopers that last about three minutes but are made extremely annoying with play-by-play from Marv Albert.
Drafting The Game Plan – Here is your twenty minute “making of” featurette that does a nice job with some behind the scenes shots, but not much else.
ESPN’s Sportscenter: The Rock Learns To Play QB – Now many of you may not know that The Rock played defensive end for the University of Miami before going into wrestling and acting. Needless to say, he doesn’t look the part of a quarterback. ESPN’s Sean Salisbury talks with The Rock a bit about how he got into his role as a QB and learned to play the part. This runs about three and a half minutes.
ESPN’s Sportscenter DVD/Blu-Ray Exclusive: The King In Search Of A Ring – If you’ve ever watched ESPN then you’ve seen something like this before. It is basically a profile where everyone from the film is in character and talks about Joe Kingman as if he is a real person and trying to get a championship ring. This five minute feature is short, but kind of fun.
Trailers – Disney Blu-Ray, The Aristocats: Special Edition, Wall*E, and Enchanted
The Inside Pulse
For those that have kids, then this is a film for you because it is something the entire family can enjoy. If you don’t have any kids, it still isn’t a bad choice to watch some night because aside from the cheese and predictability, it is funny and quite touching. There are some extreme amounts of corniness and “happy ending” hoopla, but its Disney, what do you expect? Anyway, I thought it was a cute film and not nearly as bad as it could have been. The similarities to Baby Boom are noticeable for anyone that ever saw it, but essentially it’s the same story so that’s going to happen from time to time. In the special features section, you aren’t going to get much but at least around forty-five minutes of fun little stuff. I’d recommend a rental for anyone without kids, and those with a family may want their own copy because it will keep them quiet for a while when you just want some peace. You smell what the Rock is cooki…oh wait, he’s no longer known by that huh?
