Customer Reviews
The game plan.. 
2008-08-16
A nice family movie with lots of laughter and drama.
Thanks Disney, for giving the family something decent to watch!
Predictable Family Fun 
2008-07-21
We have five boys, so I am always on the lookout for movies we can watch together. I want movies that will hold the interest of my younger boys, have enough jokes that my older boys will not be bored, but not be so 'dumbed down' that my husband and I are asleep in the first 30 minutes. Not always an easy task...But "The Gameplan" was close enough. Dwayne Johnson was a pro wrestler, not sure of all the details, but that is a fact that caught my older boys'attention. We all enjoyed him in "The Scorpion King," and my younger boys just thought it looked like a funny movie, and it was. Many of the jokes are recycled from other, similar, films and it is a rather predictable ending, though I was caught off guard by 'the twist.' But it is a sweet story, with a lovely sentiment. It's a movie you can enjoy as a family, and movies like that always rank high in my book.
Cute...but it tries to hard 2008-07-19
One thing I do like about this movie is that has a good concept-probably would have made a decent Chick Lit book. I even think Madison Pettes is adorable, but on a whole, this movie never ceases to be missing something. Johnson does an okay job-not quite an actor but manages not to have that stiff, deer-caught-in-headlights look either on screen. As a woman, I can look at his body for hours. The script didn't know which ingredients to put in here so they decided to put it all in and, on top of that, put too much of it in. I was literally recognizing different scenes having been in other movies. From Jerry McGuire to Pretty woman to even Will Smith's Hitch. There's not one original idea in this movie. And still I didn't totally hate it. Go figure.
Stop! Or my Kindergarten Cop teacher will Pacifier you. 2008-07-06
Arnie did in Kindergarten Cop, Stallone sort of did it in "Stop! or my mom will shoot" and Vin Diesel did it in Pacifier... a movie where they take a top action star who knows only one thing, and throws a kid or two at them and tells them to stop the action, and become a family man.
This ones story stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson who plays a superstar American football player who thinks about nothing but himself. Then one day a little girl appears on his door step claiming to be his kid he did not know about, and The Rock's life is turned upside down as he discovers what being a father and what kids get up to is about.
The plot is not much, I knew what was going to happen only a few minutes into the movie, but by the time it does come, you do feel all warm and mushy and happy through it.
I haven't been a fan of The Rocks acting career so far, everything I have seen him in has been pretty average. But I have expected he will do something huge that sticks out for him sooner or later. Funnily enough, so far this is it. I'm sure his best movie is yet to come, but for now this one took the Rock away from all that action and guns kind of thing and shows the lighter side of his acting ability.
The little girl, I have no idea who she is, but shes done a pretty good job of acting in this movie. They said in a featurette shes like a 30 year old in a 8 year olds body... nah... shes more believable then that annoying Dakota Fanning and you actually beleive this kids a kid.
The surprising role for me was Kyra Sedgwick. Usually she plays a very sweet and always smiling character, in this one she is the (that word for a female dog) and I almost did not recognize her for a while. It's defiantly a different character then what you usually see her playing.
Overall, it's pretty much what you expect the movie to be, it could have been a bit better with the laughs, but they focused this more as a drama movie with comedy added instead of the other way around. It's a decent family flick, and sure to get bad reviews from those rockin wrestling fans who just want the Rock to go back to sports entertainment.... but there going to have to come to terms with it not happening and see the Rock is now an actor.
REALLY BAD!........ EVEN FOR THIS SORT OF MOVIE! 
2008-06-29
OK, Here it comes! I don't even know why I do reviews on these sort of films!?? This movie is so routine that I felt like I had "ESP". Completely riddled with clichés` this movie drags on and on and offers the viewer nothing new and it's just painfully sweet and annoying! I don't mind "heartwarming", but this film is vomit inducing!
The biggest problem in "The Rock" can't act his way out of a paper bag! His earlier film 'Run Down' wasn't bad as action movies go and I think he should stick to that genre. If you want to see a big action hero play the fool watch 'Kindergarten Cop'.
With so many good family movies out there, this one is completely avoidable! Stay Away!
One of those few clean movies! 
2008-06-26
In this hilarious and heartwarming family comedy one of the sport's toughest players ever takes on his biggest challenge yet -- fatherhood! A superstar with an ego bigger than a football field Joe Kingman (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is getting ready for a run at the big championship game when the 8-year-old daughter he never knew existed shows up at his not-so-family-friendly bachelor pad. As the big game gets closer he begins to realize the most meaningful win he can achieve is the heart of the one little fan who counts the most.System Requirements:Running Time: 110 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: PG UPC: 786936747362 Manufacturer No: 05569200
....from the Walt Dizzey Studio.... 2008-06-22
This has got to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen>>Really ,if a kid in real life acted the way Peyton does in this DVD she would probably not be able to sit down for a week.This is one of the worst child star? performances of the decade.The Rock was no good either.do not waste your money on this one!!!
Generalstark123All
An awesome family movie 2008-06-20
I went to see this with my children and we all loved it. This is a great movie without all of the violence and bad language. I loved this movie so much that I bought the DVD.
Gameplan Review 2008-06-17
It was an okay movie, I sometimes got annoyed by the characters but it was funny and interesting. And through the whole thing there's almost like a mystery that I just couldn't figure out until it was revealed. But overall it was a good movie...family friendly
Sometimes Life Doesn't Go According to Plan... 2008-05-31
I wasn't sure what to expect out of Disney's newest family comedy, "The Game Plan" starring Dwayne Johnson ("The Rundown"), Kyra Sedgwick (TV's "The Closer"), and Morris Chestnut ("Ladder 49"). For the most part, I find myself unimpressed by Disney's various live-action family comedies, I think that Disney produces excellent drama's safe for the whole family, but for some reason their comedies always fall short. It seems to me, that those responsible for bringing Disney's comedies to the big screen simply don't put forth the amount of effort needed to elevate the story above being average or below, therefore leaving me generally feeling cold to the end result. Well, with the release of "The Game Plan", for once Disney surprised me, and actually produced a live-action family comedy that was full of genuinely funny moments, solid acting, a little bit of drama, and even some sports action mixed together to form a thoroughly entertaining movie that everyone can enjoy.
"The Game Plan" focuses on superstar quarterback Joe Kingman (Dwayne Johnson) who is preparing to lead his team through the final games of the playoffs and hopefully to the championship game. Everything is going perfectly for Joe, a self-obsessed man who cares only for himself and doesn't even think twice to ridicule other teammates who have other concerns besides football, such as family, finances, and day-to-day life. However, that is all about to change when Joe receives an unexpected surprise in the form of an 8-year-old daughter he never even knew he had. Now, with the championship game fast approaching, Joe's world is being turned upside down, though not in a completely bad way. In fact, what at first seemed like an inconvenience is becoming the best blessing Joe has ever received as his newly found daughter begins to open his heart to more than just himself, and allows Joe to see that there is a world outside of football, and that sometimes there are more important things to worry about than the next game.
I'm very pleased with the way "The Game Plan" broke Disney's normal convention of family comedies, that are generally so formulaic and by-the-book, thanks to the writers, Nichole Millard and Kathryn Price (both first time feature film writers), along with director Andy Fickman ("She's the Man"), actually attempting to include originality and genuine laughs without relying on the usual slapstick that is so cheap and, by this point in the studio's longevity, extremely overused. Sure, the story has its moments of predictability, and you can easily see how the movie's going to end long before you reach that point, but the journey the film takes you on contains enough surprises and little twists along the way that you don't mind the fact that you already know the outcome. It was these surprising moments that elevated "The Game Plan" well above the majority of Disney's live-action comedy crop, actually getting it a little bit closer to achieving the quality of their acclaimed sports-themed drama's, such as, "Remember the Titans" or "Glory Road". Of course, the numerous bits of football action didn't hurt either, and I was surprised that the story approached the football scenes in a more realistic way rather than the slapstick way I had expected, which would have been to try to get in some cheap sight gags while out on the field. Even the locker room scenes, though a tad clichéd in places, weren't filled with the ridiculousness that I had expected from Disney over the years. Clearly, those in charge of this movie knew the typical pitfalls that most of these films succumb to, and were wise enough to avoid them at all costs.
Former wrestler turned actor Dwayne Johnson (formerly known as The Rock) brings his character of Joe Kingman to ridiculously narcissistic life, imbuing him with an arrogance that is not completely off-putting due to his equal amount of charm and charisma that allows the audience to still root for him despite his shortcomings. When his daughter, played by newcomer Madison Pettis, who turns out to be a very talented young actress; Johnson handles the change in Joe's character in a very natural way. At first he approaches this newfound responsibility with the same careless manner that he handles most matters in his personal life; however, the more time he spends with this child the softer he becomes, until he eventually develops a deeply genuine love for his daughter, along with a willingness to do whatever it takes to remain in her life, even if it costs him the big game or jeopardizes his future successes on and off the field. Kyra Sedgwick is perfect as Joe's scheming agent who desperately wants an endorsement deal with a fast-food chain that she knows is worthless, and will stop at nothing in her efforts to push this newest obstacle in the form of Joe's new daughter out of the way before any more damage is done to his career, at least from her perspective. Leading the rest of the supporting cast, which consisted mostly of Joe's football team, is actor Morris Chestnut who represents the only man on the team who appears to have a family and children to call his own. He is the brunt of most of Joe's jokes early on in the film, but eventually becomes a close friend and adviser to Joe in all things child related. Lastly, actress Roselyn Sanchez ("The Boat Trip") shows up about halfway through the movie as a ballet instructor that teaches the class Joe's daughter attends, she brings a hint of romance to the proceedings and serves as the eventual love interest for Joe as she helps his daughter reach the father trapped inside this self-absorbed jock's body.
"The Game Plan" is in no way the perfect film, it's as predictable as most family or romantic comedies tend to be, but the story contains enough surprises throughout that I didn't even mind knowing exactly how the movie was going to end before it really ever began. Featuring solid acting, genuine laughs, a heartwarming story, and even some football action, when mixed together these elements make "The Game Plan" a winner of a family comedy in my book.
"The Game Plan" is rated PG.
