Blessed by fame and fortune, a superstar quarterback discovers he’s the father of an 8-year-old daughter in The Game Plan, a comedy with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the self-absorbed bachelor who must come to grips with his new situation. This family film could have been a winner. It features football, ballet, a cute little girl, a funny bulldog and a heartless agent. So why was it such a big disappointment to me?

There’s certainly nothing wrong with the movie’s emphasis on the importance of being a good father -- even if it means giving up the perks of “serial bachelorhood.” And Johnson is stunning to look at no matter how much he hams it up here. Even more  stunning is the multi-million dollar penthouse apartment where his character, Joe Kingman, lives. It boasts a pool-size bathtub, an ultra-modern kitchen, a huge gym and Elvis Presley memorabilia as well as photos of Joe himself -- plus his trophies -- displayed prominently throughout. No wonder Joe devises a “game plan” for his daughter Peyton (newcomer Madison Pettis), one indicating which parts of the apartment are off limits to her. 

Also on the plus side, Johnson  and Pettis share some poignant moments together, particularly the one featuring Johnson playing the guitar while imitating Elvis singing “Are You Lonesome Tonight?’ to the little girl. Johnson, like the character he plays, idolizes Elvis, and he puts just the right amount of feeling into this song. More such scenes would have enhanced this movie considerably. Still, the chemistry between Johnson and Pettis gets stronger as the film progresses, and I laughed a bit at the way the little wannabe ballerina  antagonizes the football mega-star by “bedazzling” his personal football, dressing his dog “Spike” in a tutu, and switching channels while her dad and his buddies try to watch an important sporting event.

Johnson obviously enjoyed playing Joe Kingman. “Joe is one of the guys who, from the minute he was born, was destined to be a great quarterback,” he explains.  “He’s worked hard for everything he’s gotten, but at the same time, I think he’s never quite understood the value of certain things, of what it means to be part of a team, to do things for other people -- and it takes a little girl to show him what is really important in life.”

Pettis also seems to be having a good time in The Game Plan. Clearly, she loves the fact that her character brings about changes in her egomaniacal father. “Joe really is kind of a jerk at the beginning, and he doesn’t even know it,” Pettis declares. “But Peyton shows him what it’s like to be nice.”  

Commenting on why Madison Pettis earned the role of Peyton, director Andy Fickman says, “Madison really embraced the emotional complexity of Peyton. After all, Peyton isn’t just a Shirley Temple ragamuffin -- she has plotted a major con and she has to pull it off.”

Despite the strong potential of its appealing co-stars and family theme, The Game Plan suffers from a couple of serious flaws. First, there’s the over-acting problem. How I wish Fickman had taken things down a few notches! Because Johnson is more a personality than an actor and Pettis is a newcomer, the director should have guided them with a “less is more” approach. Even supporting actress Kyra Sedgwick, who’s marvelous in TV’s The Closer, delivers a way too over-the-top performance as Joe’s caustic agent. Only lovely Roselyn Sanchez (from TV’s Without a Trace), playing Peyton’s ballet instructor, escapes the over-acting bug that infected this movie. Next, there’s the jumbled ballet finale. After all the build-up showing Joe’s reluctant involvement in Peyton’s ballet class, their big recital number amounts to bits and pieces thrown together in a messy montage.

Although The Game Plan disappointed me, I wouldn’t be surprised if teeny-bopper girls -- and fans of “The Rock” -- get a kick out of it.

(Released by Walt Disney Pictures and rated “PG” for some mild thematic elements.)