Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cute young Olsen twins thwart witch's Halloween spell.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Double Double Toil and Trouble
What's the Story?
On Halloween, the 7-year-old twins (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) plot to free their good aunt Sophia, who was trapped inside a mirror on Halloween seven years earlier by her evil twin, Agatha the witch. (Both aunts are played by the delightful Cloris Leachman.) After ditching their parents while trick-or-treating, the girls recruit a good-natured homeless man, Oscar (Meshach Taylor); a clown-for-rent (Phil Fondacaro); and a gravedigger (Wayne Robson) in the quest to snatch the magic green moonstone that fuels Agatha's power.
Is It Any Good?
The younger the viewer, the more she or he will enjoy DOUBLE DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE. Older kids will probably see certain plot twists coming from a mile away; unlike the quality obvious in a classic such as The Wizard of Oz, this movie's weaknesses will be clear to anyone over the age of 8. The story is formulaic and so are the performances by all but Leachman, and they include a turn by the affable Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) as the dad. Still, it's a decent Halloween movie choice for kids who are sensitive or too young for scarier tales.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why it might be difficult to be a twin. Do you ever wish you were a twin? Why?
Did you find the movie spooky or silly? What kind of Halloween stories do you like best?
Sometimes bad people pretend to be nice to trick others. How might you be able to tell when that is happening?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 1, 1993
- Cast : Ashley Olsen , Mary-Kate Olsen , Cloris Leachman
- Director : Stuart Margolin
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Dualstar Productions
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
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