How the West Was Fun
Sisters implausibly save dude ranch in bland tale.
Parents say
Based on 1 review
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
How the West Was Fun
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that How the West Was Fun is a 1994 made-for-TV Olsen twin movie featuring the precocious pair, at age 8, plotting to save a dude ranch. As in most of their movies, they're usually 10 steps ahead of the slow-witted adults who surround them. Young children may be frightened when Bart tries to kidnap the twins; older viewers may find this strained plot twist funny. He takes them over rapids in a raft as the girls cry out for their dad. The twins' widower dad tamely kisses rodeo rider Laura once. This formulaic, cutesy trifle is best for die-hard Olsen twin fans and young grade-schoolers only.
Community Reviews
Report this review
What's the Story?
Jessica (Ashley Olsen) and Susie (Mary-Kate Olsen) get their dad (Patrick Cassidy) fired from his dead-end job so they can all pick up and leave Philadelphia for the failing western dude ranch where their deceased mother summered as a child. Upon arrival, the 8-year-olds uncover a secret plot by the evil Bart (Martin Mull) to steal the property from his aging mother, send the horses to the glue factory, pave over the ranch, and build a theme park. Needless to say, most of the grown-ups don't notice any of this nefarious scheming, and it takes the twins to figure out how to dump Bart and resurrect the ranch.
Is It Any Good?
HOW THE WEST WAS FUN is truly one of the more inane Olsen twin outings. Martin Mull as the evil Bart performs broadly, swallowing the scenery whole in every shot, but he doesn't have much to work with given a cliché-ridden script. The direction is no better, mimicking the unsubtle movement of checkers jumping around a board. This is not to say that young children won't enjoy watching two cute blond 8-year-old girls rule their world for 96 minutes. Parents will be comfortable with the typical Olsen movie decency, but it's served up with sides of blandness and slapstick adult ineptitude. Maybe that's what kids like about this series.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the virtues of enjoying the great outdoors and preserving nature.
Would it be more fun to go on rides at a theme park or ride a real horse? Why?
How do you expose bad behavior when telling about it may hurt good people?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: August 10, 1994
- Cast: Ashley Olsen, Mary-Kate Olsen, Martin Mull, Michele Green, Patrick Cassidy
- Director: Stuart Margolin
- Studio: Warner Home Video
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Run time: 96 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: October 13, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
-
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Rollicking Old West ride lassos some stereotypes.
-
The Parent Trap (1961)
Charming classic has some dated gender roles.
-
The Parent Trap
Delightful remake is great for the whole family.
For kids who love to laugh
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate