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"THE TOOTH FAIRY" (2010) (Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Minor Heavy Mild Minor Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Heavy None Mild None Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild None Mild Moderate Moderate QUICK TAKE: Comedy: After routinely dashing the hopes and dreams of kids, including his girlfriend's young daughter, a former hockey great finds himself summoned for a secret, two-week sentence of working as the Tooth Fairy. PLOT: Derek Thompson (DWAYNE JOHNSON) was once a great, professional hockey player. But a shoulder injury sent him to the minor leagues where he lost his on the ice mojo. Now playing for the Lansing Ice Wolves, Derek hasn't taken a shot on goal in nine years and isn't pleased about falling into the shadow of young upstart Mick Donnelly (RYAN SHECKLER). But he has proudly racked up more penalty box time than any other player, mainly due to his teeth-popping body hits that have earned him the nickname "The Tooth Fairy." While he enjoys the attention that brings, he knows full well the fleeting nature of fame. Accordingly, he often dashes the dreams and aspirations of young people with a bitter reality check. Despite that and his self-centered nature, he's managed to attract a pretty single mom, Carly Harris (ASHLEY JUDD), as his girlfriend, and gets along well with her 6-year-old daughter, Tess (DESTINY GRACE WHITLOCK). Things are more strained, however, with her older guitar-playing brother, Randy (CHASE ELLISON), who wants nothing to do with him. Due to squashing kids' dreams and nearly informing Tess that the Tooth Fairy doesn't exist after she loses one of her teeth, Derek wakes up one morning sporting fairy wings, a woman's tutu, and a summons from the Department of Dissemination of Disbelief. He's then magically transported to fairy headquarters where he meets leader Lily (JULIE ANDREWS) who's assigned Tracy (STEPHEN MERCHANT) as Derek's non-flying caseworker/instructor. Meanwhile, fairy Jerry (BILLY CRYSTAL) supplies the disbelieving hockey player with the tools of the trade, such as memory erasing dust, invisibility potion, shrinking paste, and items to deal with cats and dogs while in a miniature state. Derek then learns that he must serve two weeks as the Tooth Fairy, summoned at any moment to sneak into a child's bedroom and leave money under their pillows in exchange for their recently removed teeth. To make matters worse, Derek can't tell anyone of his new duty, a matter that complicates both his time on the ice and his relationship with Carly and her kids. From that point on, he begrudgingly does his thing, all while learning about himself and the rekindled notion of never giving up on one's dreams. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Those young enough to believe in the title character or who've just graduated from that and want to mock it might be enticed, as might anyone who's a fan of someone in the cast. Otherwise, it doesn't seem too likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For mild language, some rude humor and sports action. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: DWAYNE JOHNSON plays a former professional hockey player who's now living off his past fame and current reputation of being an aggressive body check hitter on the ice. While he has Carly as his girlfriend, he's self-centered, doesn't particularly like being around her teenage son, and -- due to his past experience -- isn't above dashing the hopes and dreams of young people by giving them a reality check. He initially isn't pleased when he learns he must serve a two-week stint as a tooth fairy, but eventually comes around and becomes a better man because of that. ASHLEY JUDD plays his girlfriend, a single mom raising two kids who loves Derek and wishes he and Randy would get along better. CHASE ELLISON plays her surly teenage son who initially doesn't like Derek as being the latest in a line of his mom's boyfriends. Talented at playing guitar but lacking self-confidence, he needs a push from Derek to succeed. DESTINY GRACE WHITLOCK plays his younger daughter who still believes in the Tooth Fairy and gets along fine with Derek. STEPHEN MERCHANT plays Derek's quite tall and somewhat goofy caseworker who's been assigned to assist him in learning the tricks of the trade and making sure he carries out his sentence. He dreams of one day getting his wings and being promoted to tooth fairy status. JULIE ANDREWS plays the head fairy who runs the headquarters, sentences Derek to a two-week stint as a tooth fairy, and isn't pleased by his attitude. RYAN SHECKLER plays the cocky, young upstart on the hockey team who knows he's the next big thing and is condescending toward Derek being a has-been. BILLY CRYSTAL plays the mischievous gadget guru at fairy headquarters who enjoys telling Derek fibs just to tease him. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this comedy that's rated PG. Profanity consists of a partially drowned out "s" word, while a handful of other expletives and various colorful phrases are also uttered. Some slightly suggestive dialogue and material are present, while a few male hockey players are seen shirtless. Violence includes some hard contact during hockey games (including one cheap shot punch), while slapstick style material is also present. A scene featuring a cat after a miniaturized person might be tense or suspenseful to younger viewers even if it's played lightly and for laughs. Various bits of behavior might be enticing for kids to try to imitate. Some alcohol related content is present, but nothing is consumed, while some drug-like but not drug related comments are made. Bad attitudes are present, as is a little bit of crude humor. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Some viewers may view some comments made by certain characters as drug-like, such as Jerry egging on Derek, "C'mon, let's get small" (to use a shrink-inducing paste), and another fairy later trying to sell Derek any number of black market type fairy tools, using various nicknames for them like a drug dealer would do (but none of the names are drug-related). When Derek is arrested (for showing up at a house on Tooth Fairy duty, but freaking out the woman there), we see him in jail where he talks to Tracy (only he can see and hear him), and complains that he can't go without (his fairy tools) for two weeks. Another prisoner there thinks Derek is talking about drugs, and says that he can, especially if he believes in a higher power. As part of his fairy oath, Derek repeats that he will not drink and fly. We see wine in glasses by Derek and Carly, but we don't see any drinking. BLOOD/GORE Derek has two ketchup-covered French fries as fangs hanging out of his mouth (the ketchup standing in for blood). Needing to escape before his teammates catch him dressed as the Tooth Fairy in a bathroom stall, Derek miniaturizes and then flushes himself down the toilet. We later see him full-sized and wet, with Tracy adversely reacting to the bad smell. When Derek is called into a game, Mick sarcastically asks him if he has a fresh pair of Depends. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Derek is often conceited and self-centered, and he routinely dashes the dreams and aspirations of young people by giving them a reality check about the odds stacked against them. Mick is an egotistical young player who's demeaning toward Derek and his age and him now being over the hill. Randy wants nothing to do with Derek (being the latest in a line of her mom's boyfriends) and doesn't hide his feelings about him or that. Derek takes Tess' Tooth Fairy money from under her pillow to use in a poker game with his buddies. When she's upset about not having any when she wakes up, he offers to pay her from his winnings and nearly tells her the Tooth Fairy doesn't exist, but Carly stops him. Derek initially doesn't like or respect Tracy and vice-versa, with Derek mockingly saying the caseworker has a pretty girl's name. Jerry repeatedly fibs to Derek for fun. Another kid bullies Randy in front of a girl, calling him Emo and "loser," until Derek comes along, taps some drumsticks on his head, and scares him away via his hulking size. When Derek is called into a game, Mick sarcastically asks him if he has a fresh pair of Depends. Derek is mean to both Randy and Tracy about their respective dreams. There's more hockey contact during a game, including one player delivering a cheap shot of a punch to the back of the head of another player. FRIGHTENING SCENES Derek shrinks down to a tiny size to enter a house and retrieve a tooth. He must quietly pass by a sleeping cat and then climb up furniture to get under the pillow. The sleeping kid then rolls over and knocks Derek off the bed, but he lands on a stuffed toy. The kid wakes up, however, and screams, with his parents running in and unknowingly slamming the door into Derek (we don't see the impact). The awakened cat then enters and chases after Derek who briefly hides behind a wall as the cat approaches (Derek uses a loud sound to startle the cat and then escapes). This is all played lightly, but it might be tense or suspenseful for very young kids. GUNS/WEAPONS Tracy uses a giant amnesia cannon to spray hockey fans and make them forget what they've seen. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: A bleeped out "Bullsh*t" (with a car horn overriding the last part of that word), "You can't handle the tooth," "And that's the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth," "Fairy Krishnas," "What a pretty girl's name you have," "Get your fairy hands off me," "You feeling lucky, punk?" "Fairy fight!" "Does this tutu make my butt look big?" "Dude," "C'mon, let's get small," "I almost had a senior fairy moment," "Who's your hobbit friend?" "Don't get me started, homey," "Chicks," "Maybe I'll wing it," "What do you suggest, Einstein?" "Shut up," "You should shoo me some respect," an incomplete "What the..?" "Wing envy," "Why are you talking to Emo?" "Loser," "Here's an idea, brain-box," "Idiot proof," "I freaked," "Oh yeah," "Meathead," "What the hell?" "You got a fresh pair of Depends on you?" "You're a sideshow attraction," "Bum," "Are you out of your mind?" "Call me the mayor of Shockville," "Let's not get frisky" and "You big, four-eyed giraffe" (said playfully). Some kids may be enticed to imitate the various puns (including phrases listed above) that occur throughout the film. Some kids may imitate the violent body checking that occurs in the hockey games. Derek has two ketchup-covered French fries as fangs hanging out of his mouth (the ketchup standing in for blood). Tracy mocks Derek by saying, "Ooh, egg on the face" while making a hand gesture to emulate that on Derek's face. Jerry repeatedly lies to Derek for fun. Tracy and Derek take turns backhanding each other's chests. Derek jumps off a balcony and we hear him land hard on the ground below (not seen -- played for laughs). Derek gives Mick a magic pill that makes the latter bark and growl like a dog rather than talk like a human (kids might imitate the barking and growling). After Derek dashes Randy's dreams of being a guitar player, the boy smashes his guitar down onto the street. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A mild amount of playfully suspenseful music occurs in a few scenes. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 partial "s" word (with a car horn overriding the last part of it), 1 hell and 1 use of "God." SEX/NUDITY We see various shirtless male players in the locker room, including Derek. Jerry states that he sometimes uses a shrink-inducing paste to get small and then walk on his wife's body while she sleeps, leaving footprints all over her (stating he does that to spice up their long marriage). Derek jokingly tells Randy he bets the young teen gets plenty of "chicks" with his guitar playing. At several points in the film, Derek and Carly do some quick kissing, but nothing steamy or graphic. When Derek returns home, Carly (on the sofa and not seeing him pass behind the sofa) tells him to come cuddle with her. But he's still returning to his normal size after being miniaturized and says he can't, adding that he will when he's bigger, and then corrects that to "better" (thus leaving her with a confused look on her face). When Randy asks Derek if he can ask him something, Derek quickly replies if it's about his (Randy's) body and how it's changing. Randy is grossed out by that and says no, with Derek saying he doesn't want to talk about that either. Carly shows a little cleavage while sleeping. Upon parting forever, Derek gives Lily a hug, with her being uncomfortable and stating, "Let's not get frisky." SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We never hear what happened to Carly's husband, but Randy wants nothing to do with Derek (being the latest in a line of her mom's boyfriends) and doesn't hide his feelings about him or that. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Whether it's right or wrong for parents to make their young kids believe in fictional characters such as Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. Derek's life philosophy of happiness stemming from lowering one's expectations, based on life and its setbacks and disappoints ruining his dreams. The comment that you can't score if you don't take the shot. VIOLENCE There's some body checking contact during a hockey match, including Derek blasting an opposing player back through the rink glass that shatters on impact. We also see that player's tooth flying up into the air, and then a gap in his mouth where it's missing (but there's no blood). Panicked over now being a fairy, Derek tries to flee and runs into and knocks over some fairies. Derek thumps Tracy with his fingers and then shoves him. Tracy then pulls his wand and zaps Derek several times with it until the latter grabs and breaks that wand. They then stop when Lily shows up. Tracy and another fairy fire tennis balls at Derek as part of the latter's flying instruction. While he's supposed to avoid them, most if not all hit Derek, including into his clothed crotch. Derek shrinks down to a tiny size to enter a house and retrieve a tooth. He must quietly pass by a sleeping cat and then climb up furniture to get under the pillow. The sleeping kid then rolls over and knocks Derek off the bed, but he lands on a stuffed toy. The kid wakes up, however, and screams, with his parents running in and unknowingly slamming the door into Derek (we don't see the impact, and played for laughs). There's more body checking contact during a hockey match. Tracy and Derek take turns backhanding each other's chests. A small dog bites Derek (not seen) and we later see the dog dangling from his wing, still hanging on via that bite-hold. Derek jumps off a balcony and we hear him land hard on the ground below (not seen -- played for laughs). During a training montage, we see Tracy accidentally clothesline himself and fall to the ground. During a game, Derek flips another player to the ice. After Derek dashes Randy's dreams of being a guitar player, the boy smashes his guitar down onto the street. There's more hockey contact during a game, including one player delivering a cheap shot of a punch to the back of the head of another player, while Derek is leveled to the ice by a body check and later gets a stick to the face while skating. Reviewed January 19, 2010 / Posted January 22, 2010

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