'Tooth Fairy' Movie Review

Tooth Fairy proves Dwayne Johnson will do just about anything to try and get a laugh. Don a pink tutu? No problem. Put on a pair of fairy wings and act like you're six inches tall? He's down with that also. Johnson used to be an action movie stud, but now it's all about entertaining the kiddies. Does Tooth Fairy accomplish that? Yes. Kids will most likely get a kick out of Johnson's antics in this family friendly comedy with a message.

And speaking of that message...Yes, it's great to have dreams and believe in yourself - and fairies. But a sledgehammer's used to pound home these themes to the point where adults may say enough already before Tooth Fairy's halfway over. Watching Tooth Fairy isn't as painful as having dental work performed (the title begs the comparison), but it's still not an experience adults need to sit through unless they're really into Dwayne Johnson, fairies, or have to take a kid to the movies. A scattering of smart jokes are lost amid a silly story in this predictable, campy comedy.

The Story

Johnson stars as a former big league now fading minor league hockey player affectionately known as The Tooth Fairy. Why? Come on, do you really need to ask? It's because he hits people so hard their teeth fly out of their mouths. And this is encouraged and applauded in his hockey league.

Derek's over the hill and on the downside of his hockey career, and the young stud on the team reminds him of that fact at every turn. This is a silly part of the storyline, so pay no attention to it. More important to note is that Derek has no problem shattering kids' dreams. When he almost tells his girlfriend's young daughter there is no tooth fairy, he's quickly shushed and then chastised. His tactlessness, and his penchant for bringing youngsters down, earns him a summons to Fairy Land. Fairy Land is ruled over by Julie Andrews. I don't think she's playing a character; I believe Andrews is in fact the queen of Fairy Land. She looks perfect in her wings and fairy costume.

Derek's punishment for discouraging dreaming, and for stealing the money left by the 'tooth fairy' under his girlfriend's daughter's pillow in order to play poker (because $1 is going to go really far in a poker game), is to serve as the tooth fairy. For two weeks Derek's at the beck and call of his mentor, Tracy (Stephen Merchant), and those two weeks are pure hell for Derek. Equipped with fairy dust, amnesia powder, cat repellent, shrinking cream and a spray that makes him invisible, Derek has to go wherever he's called to pick up a tooth. And he has to go quickly since as soon as he's paged, he sprouts wings. And even though his nickname's The Tooth Fairy, hockey fans just wouldn't be into a 6' something hockey ruffian with gossamer wings.

So, Derek trudges through his sentence, complaining all the way, and totally not getting the lesson the fairies are attempting to pound into his head. But you know from the moment he gets the summons there will come that one pivotal moment when everything clicks and Derek the Tooth Fairy becomes Derek the Considerate, Fairy-Loving Man.

The Bottom Line

The reason to watch Tooth Fairy isn't to see the hockey action. There's a good amount of time spent on the ice, but it's not all that thrilling. If you've seen one hockey game on film, you've seen the sport portrayed better than it is in Tooth Fairy. It's also not to see the cutesy love story between Johnson and Ashley Judd, because that just doesn't work at all. They are too polite to be romantically involved. And the kids in this film, while fine, are disposable characters. The reason to see Tooth Fairy is to watch the scenes with Dwayne Johnson and Stephen Merchant. This is when the film gets cooking. The writing's snappier in the scenes in which Johnson and Merchant torment each other. Tooth Fairy's credits list five screenwriters, and whoever it was assigned the task of writing the dialogue for Merchant and Johnson did a bang-up job. The rest of the dialogue sounds as though it was written by committee.

This is definitely a Dwayne Johnson film, but credit Merchant for saving this movie from being unwatchable. Merchant's absolutely terrific as a non-winged fairy assigned to teaching Johnson the fairy ropes. Tooth Fairy could have been completely forgettable had it not been for the comic timing of Merchant, and his ability to bring out the best in Johnson whenever they share the screen.

GRADE: C+

Tooth Fairy was directed by Michael Lembeck and is rated PG for mild language, some rude humor and sports action.

Theatrical Release: January 22, 2010

_{Disclosure: This review is based on a screening provided by the studio. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.}