Parents' Guide to

It Takes Two

By Nancy Davis Kho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Olsens in Prince and the Pauper meets Parent Trap.

Movie PG 1995 101 minutes
It Takes Two Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Kris99
Kris99 Adult
September 25, 2020
age 10+

If you want your children to stop believing

Don’t watch this movie unless you are ready for your children to start questioning the magic of Santa and the Tooth Fairy
1 person found this helpful.
dvdgirl
dvdgirl Adult
February 23, 2021
age 7+

Cute

I like the Olsen twins movies and this one was cute.

This title has:

Great messages
See all 5 parent reviews

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 fiancee is up to no good. The girls meet at summer camp and hatch a plan to bring Diane and Roger Callaway together, experiencing life on the other side of the grass in the process.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (9):

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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • 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?

Movie Details

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