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What it's about:
Derek Thompson (Dwayne Johnson) is a hard-charging hockey player whose nickname comes from his habit of separating opposing players from their bicuspids. When Derek discourages a youngster's dreams, he's sentenced to one week's hard labour as a real tooth fairy, complete with the requisite tutu, wings and magic wand. At first, Derek "can't handle the tooth" - bumbling and stumbling as he tries to furtively wing his way through strangers' homes... doing what tooth fairies do. But as Derek slowly adapts to his new position, he begins to rediscover his own forgotten dreams.
What we thought:
I know I may be annihilated for what I’m about to say but most people just don’t want their kids to believe in everything that’s good. Many parents are allowing their kids see popular violent movies like Avatar (rated 13 for violence, language and mature themes). It's changed the way in which younger audiences react to more family-friendly fare – often it's just plain indifference.
Watching robots save the world in Transformers or blue aliens going on an epic adventure just offers so much more. Fairy tales, Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny – these are fallacies that are weeded out of kids' minds from a much earlier age. It's harder these days to get kids to believe in magic. And that’s what Derek Thompson finds out - the hard way.
He may have all the money and talent on the ice, but with his huge ego, he really has nothing. His girlfriend, Carly (Ashley Judd) still believes in a little magic and feels that her kids should too.
Johnson is great as an egotistical sportsman. He's become the go-to Hollywood hunk for the bad guy you love to love (The Game Plan, Get Smart) and even has a sweet comedic streak, undoubtedly the product of years and years of faux-wrestling. Julie Andrews plays Derek's eloquent fairy godmother and her performance is impeccable as usual.
Tooth Fairy is great family fun. It's a funny, polished, entertaining family movie that just might restore a little magic in the young, and the young at heart.
