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It Takes Two

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 4, age appropriate for kids over 5; suggested age 5.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Olsens in Prince and the Pauper meets Parent Trap.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 5 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The movie's action is propelled by the main characters' well-meaning deceptions; while it all ends happily, the girls do sneak away from home and camp, steal a horse, and trigger a food fight.

  • Violence & scariness:

    Jilted bride slaps groom, threatens to hit two children.

  • Sexy stuff:

    An engaged man flirts with and nearly kisses a woman who is not his wife. A romantic kiss between adults.

  • Language:

    Mild swearing by adults; frequent joking use of phrase "I'm going to kill you."

  • Consumerism:

    Elizabeth Arden and Chanel are visible cues of stepmother's materialism.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of It Takes Two was written by Nancy Davis Kho

Parents need to know that this lighthearted comedy is predictable from start to finish, but is fine family fare. An orphan is told that she can't be adopted by a single woman because "it's better to have a mother and a father." A soon-to-be stepmother is mean and connives to send her fiance's daughter to boarding school. Kids mock one another about believing in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. Children run away from their homes and summer camps repeatedly.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the likelihood of meeting your doppelganger like Alyssa and Amanda do. What would you do if you ran into someone who looked just like you? Is there anyone you know who you'd like to change places with for a day? Why?
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More on It Takes Two

What’s the Story?

In IT TAKES TWO, twins Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen play strangers who just happen to look alike and share a penchant for match-making. Amanda Lemmon (Mary-Kate) is a tough cookie; an orphan who fears being adopted by a family she's never met instead of by the woman who loves her like her own daughter, orphanage director Diane Barrows (Kirstie Alley). Her counterpart Alyssa Callaway (Ashley) lives in the lap of luxury with her billionaire father ( Steve Guttenberg), but sees that her father's new fiance is up to no good. The girls meet and hatch a plan to bring Diane and Roger Callaway together, and experience life on the other side of the grass in the process.
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Is It Any Good?

There is nary a plot trick in the movie that hasn't been seen before, and even younger viewers will probably figure out who's going to end up with whom by the end of the second scene. Still, the cast -- particularly Allie and Guttenberg -- put their all into it, and there are genuine laughs as the girls pull the strings to get the grownups to meet. Both Olsen girls fare better when they're not reaching for Alyssa's blue-blood articulation or tawking Brooklyn-tough-guy as Amanda; it comes as a relief when they drop the artifice and are allowed to let their comic chops stand alone.
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Movie Details

Studio: Warner Bros., Director: Andy Tennant
Run time: 101 minutes
Theatrical release: 11/17/1995, DVD release: 6/11/2002
MPAA Rating: PG for mild language

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    musicfan789
    Lives in Tennessee
    I rate this title on for age 7 and give it 4.0

    cute movie

    cute movie i loved it

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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