Joe Kingman (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) has it all. Fortune, fame, and of course, good looks. His career as a professional football player has never been better. Kingman’s team, the Boston Rebels, is on its way to the championship game and his life is just about perfect.
Suddenly, there’s a ring of the doorbell and standing outside his luxurious apartment is a young lady. A very young lady.
Payton (Madison Pettis) informs Kingman that she’s his eight-year-old daughter from his previous marriage. He’s unaware he has a child, and naturally, has no idea of how to deal with the situation.
Payton is an intelligent, fun-loving and sometimes mischievous youngster. At one point, she dazzles up her father’s favorite football with sequins, but soon it’s apparent that all she really wants to do is to impress her father and gain his love.
The issues faced by father and daughter create a series of comedic and emotional scenes as Joe learns to cope with fatherhood.
The movie is by no means going to be a contender for any major Oscar awards, but it’s a really great movie for the entire family. The theater was filled with kids of various ages and I’m pretty sure nearly every one of them sat through the entire film (a fairly significant achievement).
Laughter erupted from the audience at all the appropriate moments and there may have even been a tear here and there as some of the more touching scenes unfolded.
I recommend this movie to families; kids ranging in age from 6-12 will probably enjoy it most. Parents will also find humor in the moments of frustration and joy that Joe Kingman experiences.
[Be sure to check out the Minnesota Parent/Downtown Journal interview with The Rock. Look at our multimedia page.]
