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Twins

Name: Twins
Item: Twins
Rating: 2
Author: Andrea Beach

Movie review by

Andrea Beach, Common Sense Media

Common Sense says

age 13+

(i)

Silly '80s mismatched-sibling story has profanity, violence.

PG
1988
107 minutes

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age 10+

Based on 1 review

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Official trailer

Twins

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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

Positive Messages

Violence should be a last resort for resolving conflict. Families offer love, protection, and trust; without them you become cynical at best or criminal at worst, but when you have them your life becomes better.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Julius is smart, strong, and good-hearted with a strong moral compass. He's naive, idealistic, sees the best in everyone, and wants to help. He loyally defends his brother and won't stop searching until his family is reunited. Vincent is a small-time crook, deeply indebted to gangsters and resorting to car theft in an attempt to pay off his debt. But he's a lead-plated marshmallow who learns to trust and change for the better. Julius' love interest in mostly eye candy, but Vincent's girlfriend evolves from an annoyance to a supportive life partner.

Violence

Guns used to intimidate and threaten. Several murders off camera with a close-up on the gun being fired. Small amounts of blood seen when bad guys shot in the lower leg; an off-camera gunshot is heard and a small amount of blood seen on victim's head. Fights show punching, kicking, throttling, bashes on the head, some broken furniture, and bashed-in doors. A man gets hit on the head with an industrial pulley and buried in a mountain of heavy chain.

Sex

Adults kiss in bed; sex implied. Being a virgin mentioned; adultery implied once. A small topless picture in a magazine briefly shown. Men thrust their pelvises and grab women's buttocks while dancing, which the women enjoy. Lots of kissing.

Language

"S--t," "ass," "bulls--t," "slut," "d--khead," "pissed off," "crap," "butt," "son of a bitch," "smartass," and "goddamn."

Consumerism

Grocery-store scene shows many common brands and magazines. Common household products include Coors, Pringles, and SOS pads.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults infrequently drink beer, wine, and brown hard liquor; one scene takes place in a bar. The two love interests smoke several times.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Twins is a low-key, slightly dated '80s comedy directed by Ivan Reitman. It offers some positive messages about family bonds. There are some fights and more than a few guns, and in several instances small amounts of blood are shown. Adults kiss, and sex is clearly implied, including an adulterous affair, but nothing more than kissing in bed is shown. We briefly see a topless photo in a magazine. Strong language mostly consists of "s--t" and "ass" and variations on each.

User Reviews

Parents say
Kids say

Adult Written byaidans1 June 5, 2015

age 10+

Hilarious movie

The only thing bad is that you see a naked girl in a playboy magazine for a split second but besides that its perfectly fine and the language I rate it a 100%

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What's the story?

Genetically engineered to be a perfect physical, intellectual, and spiritual human, Julius (Arnold Schwarzenegger) grew up on an isolated tropical island with only his mentor for companionship. Everything he knows about the rest of the world comes from books. Now 35, he learns that he has a fraternal twin and decides to leave the island, find his long-lost brother, and finally learn what it is to have a family. When he does meet Vincent (Danny DeVito), Julius is undaunted by their differences and by Vincent's shady past. As the two get to know each other, they learn more surprises about their parents and decide to hit the road to find out who's been lying about their past all these years -- and why.

Is it any good?

The premise of TWINS, uniting long-lost brothers who are complete opposites, can appeal to any age, and when it was released in theaters it was a big hit. But with an all-adult cast in adult situations, its appeal to today's kids and teens is limited. Fans of the Terminator will enjoy seeing Schwarzenegger play the innocent, which he does creditably. DeVito is as lovably irascible as ever. The story's a bit predictable, but director Reitman brings a slight skew to the proceedings that give this mismatched-buddy story fresh appeal.

There are a few mild laughs here and there, but if feels like Reitman was unsure whether to play the violence for laughs or not, with the result being that most of the physical jokes don't land. Twins is a mildly entertaining choice for older kids who can handle some strong language and small amounts of blood, but if you're looking for belly laughs, keep looking.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about favorite buddy movies. What are some other movies you've seen where people who are opposites learn to get along and even love each other? How does this movie compare?
Sometimes Julius and Vincent seem to have a psychic connection. Do you think that's a real thing, especially with twins? Have you ever felt that kind of connection with someone?
What is the bond between siblings? What makes it so special? If you have siblings, how would you describe your bond?