Tooth Fairy

Review by Toby Hillard

The Rock has being trying hard to cast aside the childish wrestling name upon which he built his career on for some time now. However, his insistence of traveling down the Schwarzenegger "Kindergarten Cop" path isn't doing him any favours.

This time around, Dwayne Johnson (no mention of "The Rock" in the credits this time around) plays The Tooth Fairy, also known as Derek Thompson, a hard-charging minor league hockey player whose nickname comes from his habit of separating opposing players from their bicuspids.

When Derek discourages a youngster's hopes, he’s sentenced to one week's hard labor 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.

As terrible as the trailer looks for Tooth Fairy, it isn't as terrible an idea or movie as you might think. What works in the flicks favour is the unbelievably strong cast. Johnson, despite his roots, actually has an amazingly charismatic screen presence, the same can be said of the oft-forgotten creator of The Office and Extras in Stephen Merchant (who really shines as a rather underused oddball comedic talent).

Add to that comedy legend Billy Crystal and Mary Poppins star Julie Andrews - and you've got yourself a pretty solid (if not slightly fluffy) pool of talent, if only on a superficial level.

Yes, the gags are cheesy, the story predictable - but that's what kids movies need to deliver, and Tooth Fairy gives everything it needs to without ever excelling or disappointing.

2 out of 5

Tooth Fairy
Australian release: 14th January, 2010
Official Site: Tooth Fairy
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd, Julie Andrews, Billy Crystal
Director: Michael Lembeck