James Finnegan has a curious mix of genres for your viewing pleasure on Saturday…

DEREK (Dwayne Johnson) is a minor league Hockey player with the nickname Tooth Fairy (Saturday 6.35pm RTE1) so called not for any cute reason, but for his habit of knocking opponents teeth out on the ice.

However, worse is to come when Derek casts doubt as to the existence of the “real” tooth fairy to a young fan.  This, of course, has the sternest ramifications, as any parent can tell you.

Derek is sentenced to one week’s hard labour to take on the duties and responsibilities of the Tooth Fairy – wings, magic wand, tutu and all.  But can Derek “handle the tooth”?   Suffice to say, it does not go well.

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Also starring Ashley Judd, Stephen Merchant, Seth Macfarlane and Julie Andrews, this is actually great fun with no shortage of corny “Tooth” one liners, as you have already read.

Liam Neeson stars in an all action thriller when his wife is kidnapped.  No, not that one, but The Commuter (Saturday 9.30pm RTE1).

Neeson plays Michael MacCauley, a former police officer now working in Insurance, is on his train commute home.  He is contacted by a mysterious stranger, and is forced to work out the identity of a hidden passenger.

As he works against the clock, he begins to realise that these are deeper waters and that he is now unwittingly caught up in a deadly conspiracy with life and death stakes for him and his fellow commuters.

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Also starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Jonathan Banks, Sam Neill and Elizabeth McGovern, this is quite the taut, ticking time bomb thriller with a strong cast taking it all very seriously.  At least someone is not sitting in their booked seat!

Awakenings (Saturday 9.45pm TG4) is a life affirming film and my film of the day.

Based on a true story, neurologist Dr Malcolm Sayer (Robin Williams) discovers the benefits of the drug L-DOPA in treating catatonic people suffering from encephalitis lethargic, literally sleeping sickness, for over thirty years.

As the patients come back into the world, they find that things have changed beyond words and there are readjustments that need to be made.  Also, there is a degree of professional interest and suspicion as to Dr Sayers methods and success.

Then, the treatments appear to have less effect as time goes on and old symptoms return.

Directed by Penny Marshall, this also starts Robert De Niro, John Heard, Julie Kavner, Penelope Ann Miller and Max Von Sydow.

Finally, after last week’s Rocky comes, with startling originality, Rocky II (Saturday 10pm RTE2). 

Boxer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) quits the ring to marry his sweetheart and become a father.  However, he is flying through his money and is coaxed out of retirement for another shot at Apollo Creed’s heavyweight title in this solid sequel

Directed and written by Stallone, this also brings back the cast from the original film, namely Talia Shire, Bert Young, Carl Weathers and, of course, Burgess Meredith plus the wonderful Bill Conti theme. Enjoy!

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