As expected, the transition from narcissistic playboy to fatherhood isn't easy for Joe, and it becomes apparent that Peyton might have other reasons for suddenly showing up in Joe's life. Although she claims that her mother is unreachable while on a humanitarian trip to Africa, she still receives phone calls that she hides from Joe. She also goes to great lengths to sabotage Joe's personal and professional life, including ruining his date with supermodel Tatianna (Kate Natua). Joe does his best to keep the situation quiet, but after accidentally forgetting Peyton at a restaurant opening, the secret is out and Joe enlists his agent, Stella (Kyra Sedgwick), to run interference.
Initially, The Gameplan is standard as far as the whole "parent meets long-lost child" plot goes. There are several predictable moments, such as the team completely falling for Peyton, Stella seeing Peyton as a major problem and Joe eventually realizing how empty his life is without Peyton. At the same time, the movie smartly plays off these "predictable" moments by changing them up in small ways. There were several times I was sure something would happen only to have a small twist placed on it. There's even one major twist towards the end that I completely didn't see coming. Though small (well, the plot twist isn't small - it changes a major dynamic in the movie), the tweaks really help make the movie enjoyable.
A big reason for The Gameplan's success is the chemistry and acting of both "The Rock" and Pettis. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the character of Joe was written with "The Rock" in mind. He gets numerous chances to bring back the cocky swagger of his WWE persona while also showing off his comedic skills - which he excels at whenever he has the chance. He even sings and dances! Pettis has a little bit of "Curley Sue" in her; she's smart and knows how to manipulate the system to the point that you'd think she was a brat, yet you can't help liking her.
Though football plays a big role in the movie, much of the plot focuses on the relationship between Joe and Peyton. This is a smart move and what ultimately keeps The Gameplan from becoming just another in the long list of generic Disney family movies.
The Blu-ray version sports a crisp, clear picture along with a number of features. In addition to deleted scenes, bloopers and a "Behind-the-Scenes" featurette, The Gameplan also includes one of the more unique commentary features I've seen in a movie. Along with lending commentary, director Andy Fickman and "The Rock" also dissect scenes using a telestrator similar to a NFL broadcast. Also included are two ESPN Sportscenter shorts. The first, "The Rock Learns to Play QB" shows exactly what the title says while "The King in Search of a Ring" is a look at the fictitious biography of Joe Kingman hosted by ESPN's Stuart Scott.
The final extra, "Peyton's Makeover Madness", is an interactive activity that lets players search for items in Joe's apartment and decorate them with stickers and sparkles.
The biggest thing going against The Gameplan is the number of generic, and generally bad, family movies that have come before it. Though it doesn't completely break away from similar movies, The Gameplan does just enough different to make it a great family pick.
