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Parents' Guide to

The Identical

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Musical melodrama lacks charisma but is fine for tweens.

Movie PG 2014 107 minutes
The Identical Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 9+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 9+

Why just two stars?

We have three girls. This movie was clean and entertaining. We all really enjoyed it. Yes there was drinking and some smoking. But not by most of the main characters. Not sure why this was only given two stars from this site. We really enjoyed it. Thanks Netflix for adding a clean whole family movie.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
age 10+

Good family movie although the youngest may be uninterested

A good family movie that has no bad language, violence, or irresponsible sexuality. The fictional story about an Elvis Presley type character is entertaining for those 10 and up. Those younger will likely be unimpressed.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Even seasoned actors can't save The Identical from seeming like the kind of watered-down family drama that would have been better suited as a Hallmark special than a feature film. As a concept, this story had a lot of promise, offering an alternative universe in which Elvis' identical twin survived (in real-life, the second Presley baby was stillborn) and grew up raised by other parents. Of course, the filmmakers couldn't use Elvis' name, but everything about Drexel "The Dream" Hemsley was created to remind viewers of Elvis, including the casting of Rayne, who's actually a Presley impersonator. But unfortunately the filmmakers took their fascinating idea and turned it into a bland, whitewashed story devoid of the charisma that made Presley such an amazing performer. Rayne might look and sound the part, but he's not a capable enough actor to carry this story.

Another of the movie's major problems is that it focuses solely on the adopted twin, when it would have been so much more compelling to show both boys growing up into similarly musical men -- one a star, the other frustrated. Luckily for viewers, Rayne is surrounded by capable veteran actors, like Liotta, who does a decent enough job as the earnest preacher; Judd as the mysteriously never-aging mother; and Seth Green as the comic-relief drummer who's known Ryan since he as kid.

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