Giggle Your Way Through The Tooth Fairy

Sports. Tutus. Rock –n- Roll. Julie Andrews. Puns. Romance. Conquering a fear of failure. Fantasy. It’s all there.

If you are looking for a film that will tap into your emotional core, scratch your cerebral itch or leave you reflecting upon moral conundrums as you leave the theater, this movie is not for you. If you are looking for a movie that you may safely giggle through with every member of your family, “You Can’t Handle the Tooth” is just the ticket.

The movie presents a simple tale told, the formula for which has been in play over and over again. An innocent child, believing in the seemingly impossible, gets knocked down a few pegs by a grouchy adult. The grouchy adult is thusly taken on a journey of self discovery with hope that a soul will be saved and a child’s belief all things magical is placed properly back on track. Dickens, this is not, however Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is easy to watch and wins his audience over with the flash of every smile.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I saw this movie last weekend with my family as part of a pre-release promotional by the film’s marketing agent. Without the invitation to the screening, I probably would have waited to see this film on demand or via rental. I was prepared for marginal writing, marginal acting and a little nap lasting approximately 99 minutes. Within the first few minutes of the film, my attention sprang into action as I heard the words “THERE IS NO TOOTH FAIRY” loud and clear. Every parent in the room bristled, many children gasped and I anxiously searched the face of my daughter who had lost her two front teeth just that week. Frankly, a little warning about that would have been nice. From that moment of irritation, the writers of the film had me and never let me go.

What I appreciate most about this film is the laughter it inspires. There were actually only a few moments when everyone was laughing at the same time, but every few minutes, a different demographic could be heard. Grandparents, very young children, mommies, daddies, tweens and teens all had their gratuitous yet well-deserved chuckles. Heartfelt whistling, “woo-hoos” and applause at the end of the movie marked it in my book as an overall success. In my opinion, watching this movie is a fun, relaxing way to spend 101 minutes with family and friends, even if you pay for it. For what it is, I give it four stars.

Jayne Costello Goode lives in Milton, Massachusetts with her husband, son, daughter, parents, cat and puppy. Photo Credit: Jayne Costello Goode.