Tooth Fairy DVD 2010Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson mocked his massive self to decent effect in 2008’s The Game Plan, and does so again in The Tooth Fairy, a similarly innocuous but amusing piece of family fluff that nonetheless suffers whenever the big guy isn’t dressed in tights and sporting wings.

He plays a minor-league hockey player known for knocking out opponents’ teeth who almost ruins the tooth fairy myth for his girlfriend’s young daughter and so is sentenced by the Fairy Godmother herself (Julie Andrews) to serve time as one of the titular teeth collectors.

Johnson’s attempts to acquire the teeth provide most of the laughs here, as he deals with giant cats, people mistaking him for a ghost and kids screaming at the sight of him in their bedrooms. Not to mention his use of the magical tricks of the trade, like invisibility spray, shrinking paste and amnesia dust, whose use gets demonstrated to Johnson by Billy Crystal (in a cameo) in the film’s funniest scene.

And while he’s no Steve Martin, Johnson does possess an easygoing comic charm. Just watch the way he casually dashes the dreams of a young hockey fan, or tells his Tooth Fairy case worker (Stephen Merchant) he’s going to “wing it” while on an assignment. His delivery is improving, too, as evidenced by his sarcastic response to getting coupons to the Tooth Fairy gift shop.

Merchant (Ricky Gervais’ partner in comedy) is the funniest person here, though, using his gangly nature to hilarious effect as said case worker who wants to be an actual Tooth Fairy. Andrews is a reliably classy presence, while Ashley Judd is serviceable as the (surprisingly age-appropriate) girlfriend and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane puts in an amusing cameo.

So it bites that film fizzles anytime it leaves the Tooth Fairy realm, and that the script crams in numerous subplots and resolves them in predictable and lazy fashion. Johnson must get the teeth, save his career, mentor Merchant and bond with Ashley’s guitar-playing teenage son, an apparent musical prodigy who can strum “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” like a pro.

Granted, it is a sitcom of a movie, directed by a former sitcom actor (Michael Lembeck) and designed with kids in mind. Lessons are learned, the ending is warm and fuzzy and moppets will no doubt laugh at the sight of Johnson in a pink tutu. That, dear readers, is the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson mocked his massive self to decent effect in 2008’s The Game Plan, and does so again in Tooth Fairy, a similarly innocuous but amusing piece of family fluff that nonetheless suffers whenever the big guy isn’t dressed in tights and sporting wings.

He plays a minor-league hockey player known for knocking out opponents’ teeth who almost ruins the tooth fairy myth for his girlfriend’s young daughter and so is sentenced by the Fairy Godmother herself (Julie Andrews) to serve time as one of the titular teeth collectors.

Johnson’s attempts to acquire the teeth provide most of the laughs here, as he deals with giant cats, people mistaking him for a ghost and kids screaming at the sight of him in their bedrooms. Not to mention his use of the magical tricks of the trade, like invisibility spray, shrinking paste and amnesia dust, whose use gets demonstrated to Johnson by Billy Crystal (in a cameo) in the film’s funniest scene.

And while he’s no Steve Martin, Johnson does possess an easygoing comic charm. Just watch the way he casually dashes the dreams of a young hockey fan, or tells his Tooth Fairy case worker (Stephen Merchant) he’s going to “wing it” while on an assignment. His delivery is improving, too, as evidenced by his sarcastic response to getting coupons to the Tooth Fairy gift shop.

Merchant (Ricky Gervais’ partner in comedy) is the funniest person here, though, using his gangly nature to hilarious effect as said case worker who wants to be an actual Tooth Fairy. Andrews is a reliably classy presence, while Ashley Judd is serviceable as the (surprisingly age-appropriate) girlfriend and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane puts in an amusing cameo.

So it bites that the film fizzles anytime it leaves the Tooth Fairy realm, and that the script crams in numerous subplots and resolves them in predictable and lazy fashion. Johnson must get the teeth, save his career, mentor Merchant and bond with Ashley’s guitar-playing teenage son, an apparent musical prodigy who can strum “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” like a pro.

Granted, it is a sitcom of a movie, directed by a former sitcom actor (Michael Lembeck) and designed with kids in mind. Lessons are learned, the ending is warm and fuzzy and moppets will no doubt laugh at the sight of Johnson in a pink tutu. That, dear readers, is the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Comedy/Family/Fantasy

Rated PG

DVD Release Date: 5/4/10