Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this DVD is squarely aimed at tween fans of Suite Life of Zack and Cody stars Dylan and Cole Sprouse. The content is equally mild, with some fake-looking guns on a film set and one short boat-chase scene (though an outtake after the credits shows someone getting punched and hit over the head with bottles). Caregivers of the two boys seem to yell a lot, and a mother is pretty self-absorbed throughout. She also keeps the identity of her son's father a secret until the end, when she happens to run into him.
Families can talk about who has it better: child celebs or regular kids. Would you like to spend your day on a movie set away from everyone your own age? Would you miss sports, friends, and hanging out at the movies? Do you think all kid celebs have big heads like Eddie?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Carrie R. Wheadon
Tom Canty (Dylan Sprouse) lives alone with his gruff grandpa (Ed Lauter), who recruits him every weekend to help with his landscaping business. He'd rather be in the school's acting group, and shows off his funny voices to classmates to prove it. Look-alike Eddie Tudor (Cole Sprouse) lives in a trailer on a movie set with his bustling producer-mom (Dedee Pfeiffer) and is the big star in the movie franchise Spy Teen. In between takes, he torments everyone with bratty behavior. When Tom sneaks on the set, Eddie invites him to hang out and try on his fancy Spy Teen duds. The resemblance is amazing, and a switcheroo plan is born. Then, without warning, the movie shoot moves an hour away and takes a surprised Tom with them. The two have their work cut out for them to get back to their own families and lives.
This movie is a very long 92 minutes, especially for anyone not into the Sprouse twins' The Suite Life of Zack and Cody TV show. Both the story and acting are mediocre kid-TV quality, and the pace is like a TV episode in slow motion, with only one boat-chase scene to shake it up.
Too bad they didn't try a little harder, especially since tweens are so celeb-aware/entranced and could take away some more grounded ideas about life as a kid star. Instead, the ideas are lost in a drone of bickering with adults who don't believe the boys when they claim to be someone else. And there's a "guess what, you're his dad" moment tacked on to add a certain something the wasted 92 minutes really could have done without.
Tweens would do better with Spy Kids, Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London, the cartoon Ricky Sprocket - Showbiz Boy, and the body-switcheroo tale Freaky Friday.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentPrince and Pauper do some mild flirting with and staring at girls. |
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ViolenceA boat chase; fake-looking guns are used on a film set; a stunt man gets punched and hit with bottles in what is supposed to be a funny aside post-credits. |
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LanguageParents and parental figures do a lot of yelling, but no bad words are uttered. |
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Social BehaviorThe "grass is always greener" lesson gets learned rather predictably here; bratty movie star gets nice;, wannabe gets a shot at stardom. |
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CommercialismThe boys play a racing game on the XBox; Hansen's soda shown twice. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoGrandpa says once, "What, are you high?" |
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