Movie Review – The Tooth Fairy

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[ No Spoilers ]

It’s no secret: I love kids’ movies. To be more precise I love kids’ movies that have good humor, good acting, and deliver a message without being silly about it. That being said, “I loved Tooth Fairy.”

There are a lot of comedies that aren’t funny. Take for instance Funny People, which had funny people in the movie, but they didn’t do much that was funny. The Tooth has lots of hilarious scenes. I mean throwing your head back and laughing out loud scenes. And that was the reaction from most of the audience — which was predominantly adults. I’m sure that kids would find it even more hilarious.

Dwayne Johnson — The Rock — is great. I’ve seen a lot of his movies, but some of them suck. Take the remake of Escape From Witch Mountain. Huge suckage…but that wasn’t necessarily his fault. It was just a lame story with pathetic production values. There’s none of that in Tooth Fairy.

Probably the most important skill that Dwayne Johnson has is his ability to act with kids. He had a lot of one-on-one time with the two kids — Lily and Randy — and in this movie he did very well. And they weren’t easy scenes either. They required both parties to perform well, which is something that many adult actors can’t pull off when working with kids. My theory is that the adult has to make the kid feel comfortable. (Which is something that Johnson must be adept at.)

Of course the core of any good movie is in the telling of a good story. Yes, the story is predictable. It’s a kids’ movie. What else would you expect? However, the story doesn’t go exactly in the direction you might expect. What I liked most was when the characters decided to really work at something, they didn’t succeed right away. There were failures to overcome. In many stories once the characters become determined to accomplish something, they do so — which is simplistic, because life just isn’t that way. I think this shows kids a valuable lesson in that they must continue to believe in themselves, and not be afraid to change tactics when trying to accomplish something.

As someone who grew up watching Billy Crystal movies, it was so nice to see him back at his best. He doesn’t work much anymore, but he still has the gift. His role is reminiscent of his role in Princess Bride, but as a happier character. If you like Billy, then by all means see this movie.

And it cannot go unmentioned that Ashley Judd does a good job with her part, even though she doesn’t have much of a role. I didn’t even know she was in the movie until she was introduced. Putting talented actors in minor roles really helps bring the grade up for this film. The same can be said for the ageless Julie Andrews and Stephen Merchant . Both are perfect for their roles.

What did you think about Tooth Fairy? Share your thoughts about the movie in the comments below.