Tooth Fairy - Review

Derek Thompson, played by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, is the clutch ‘go to’ offensive forward for a professional hockey team. That is the team goes to him when they want an opposing player's teeth knocked out and this has earned him the nickname 'The Tooth Fairy'.

However, it seems that this Tooth Fairy has long since stopped believing in dreams and is seen telling a young fan, who dreams of growing up to play in the NHL, to just 'lower his expectations'. This is the last straw for Lilly, Queen of the Fairies (Julie Andrews) who promptly orders him up to fairyland and sentences him to tooth fairy duty.

Now the biggest dream killer in the NHL needs to serve time as a tooth fairy over the next few weeks while trying to win over the reluctant teenage son of his girlfriend Carly (Ashley Judd), defend his place on the team against a better talented new kid and maybe recapture his own dream in the process.

Objectionable Content

Very minor. Language is limited to a few stern uses of “idiot” and mentions of “butt” and its English counterpart “bum”. When one of Derek’s assignments gets cancelled he starts to say bull__ when a horn interrupts the more offensive part of that expletive. The Lord’s name is not taken in vain making this a very clean film in that respect.

Violence, besides the on-ice clashes standard in hockey, is limited to his initial training as a fairy where, during flight training, he is pelted by tennis balls including the obligatory groin shot. There is also the comic peril of him during his first forays as a Tooth Fairy but none are overly threatening and clearly played for laughs.

Lessons

As the movie begins Derek is at the top of his offensive game as well as a fan favorite. Unfortunately he has bought into accepting the loss of one’s dream and is not about to encourage anyone in theirs. The Word of God is clear on many occasions of not only the importance of encouraging each other but its purpose in strengthening us in this life:

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thes. 5:11).

“…encourage others by sound doctrine” (Titus 1:9).

“But encourage one another daily…so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13).

Derek’s rapport with Carly’s adorable 8-year old daughter Tess (Destiny Whitlock) seems as genuine and as wholesome as his feelings for Carly. Despite having a cynical outlook his dealing with being a tooth fairy matures him and we get to watch him actually moving towards the best definition of love:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Cor. 13:6-7).

Derek finds himself at one point in jail and a fellow inmate, not knowing the nature of his problem, tells him, “You just have to surrender to a higher power.” Although a reference to Alcoholics Anonymous’ twelve step program it was still a welcome bit of truth to hear in a film.

Final Thoughts

Julie Andrews is as enchanting as ever and Billy Crystal, in an all too short supporting role, supplies Derek with his protective fairy gear and gadgets and the film with some of its sharpest wit. The director really should have used him in more scenes as the movie was lighter than expected in the laugh department.

Fans of 'the Rock' expecting his portrayal of the self-assured, egotistical, cynical tough guy that discovers his heart through a series of comical misadventures won’t be disappointed. With more heart than outright comedy, The Tooth Fairy is a sweet film that promotes a single theme and it does it well: that of the importance of dreams and how you should never let them go. A moderately entertaining film it should delight primarily younger audiences and the parents that accompany them.

Taken from http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/home.html by Christian Spotlight™ on Entertainment