The new movie “Tooth Fairy” starring Dwayne (Don’t Call Me The Rock Anymore!) Johnson opens in theaters this weekend. My kids have already told me they want to go see it. However I am conflicted about whether I want us to go watch this movie.The movie “Tooth Fairy” is set in Lansing, Michigan. That’s right, the wondrous metropolis where I live and work…the home of Q-106 and Classic Hits 92-X. The home of the infamous “Angriest Mayor in Amreica” Virg Bernero of CNN fame. Dwayne (Hey! I Said Don’t Call Me The Rock! So Stop It!!!) Johnson’s character is a hockey player for the fictitious NHL team, the Lansing Ice Dogs, who doesn’t believe in the Tooth Fairy. He winds up being “summoned” by the head Tooth Fairy (portrayed by Mary Poppins herself Julie Andrews) who makes him a Tooth Fairy and purported hilarity ensues.
My conflict is not with the premise of the Tooth Fairy. I know there is a Tooth Fairy. I listened to “The Continuing Adventures of The Tooth Fairy” on W4-FM in Detroit (when they were a rock radio station) portrayed by voice talent and former WCFL Chicago production guru Dick Orkin…who also did “The Adventures of Chickenman” (“He’s everywhere! He’s Everywhere!”). So I know there is one. Neither is it that Julie Andrews is the Head Tooth Fairy. Mary Poppins is magical and can easily be the Head Tooth Fairy. It isn’t even Dwayne (Look, I Keep Telling You, I’m Not The Rock Anymore!) Johnson wearing a tutu and sporting wings on his back.
The State of Michigan has had a very financially advantageous film incentive going for a few years now. The incentive gives generous cash breaks to movie studios to film their movies here in Michigan…one of the most generous incentive programs outside Hollywood. A number of great movies have filmed here and have taken advantage of these incentives: “Gran Torino” and “Youth In Revolt” to name a couple of recent successful ones.
However, in some sort of wacky infinite wisdom, the folks at 20th Century Fox (the movie studio who made “Tooth Fairy”), feeling that with the story being set in Lansing, and with Michigan having a great film incentive tax break, and with Michigan having an awesome track record of very successful films being shot here, decided to do the location shoots in…Vancouver!
In these tough economic times, one would think a company trying to make a product consumer-friendly to US consumers would avoid “out-sourcing” to a foreign country and take advantage of cost savings to help create jobs in the market that the company is wanting to sell its product in. Am I being nuts here?
Don’t get me wrong. I love Canada. The Fish Market in Windsor is the best place I have ever been to for tasty salmon. I grew up listening to the hits on the Big-8 CKLW. And if it weren’t for CBC TV I would have not had the opportunity to see Detroit Red Wings games on TV when I was a kid (before ESPN, Versus, and local Detroit TV carried the games). But when you can save a boatload of money by shooting Lansing scenes in Lansing, Michigan, why go to Vancouver? Vancouver looks nothing like Lansing.
Also, with the faux NHL team angle (Lansing Ice Dogs), shooting in Lansing would have made perfect sense. Michigan State University has the top-notch Munn Ice Arena and their hockey program has put out great NHL players like Buffalo Sabres’ goalie Ryan Miller and brother Drew (Red Wing forward), the Nashville Predators’ Adam Hall and others. And with the Detroit Red Wings just 60 miles down the road, there could have been some top-notch hockey action here in Michigan for the cameras to shoot. After all, Detroit is “Hockeytown”, and the Detroit Red Wings can kick the Vancouver Canucks butts any day.
But for whatever reason 20th Century Fox decided to shoot “Tooth Fairy” location shots in Vancouver. So, thusly I am conflicted. Lansing gets national and international exposure, yet the studio didn’t do that exposure true justice by allowing movie goers to really SEE Lansing in the movie. But because the kids want to see it, I will go. If for nothing else but to see how ridiculous Dwayne (For The Last Time, Stop Calling Me The Rock!) Johnson looks wearing a tutu.
No comments:
Post a Comment