It Takes Two (1995)

8% of critics liked it
(24 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(129,300 ratings)

Identical twin 9-year-old girls, one a poor orphan, the other a rich heiress, cause confusion when they decide to meddle in their caretakers' love lives in this family-oriented comedy. Amanda (Mary Kate Olsen) is the orphan, a scrappy young girl with no family, relying on the support of her caring… More Identical twin 9-year-old girls, one a poor orphan, the other a rich heiress, cause confusion when they decide to meddle in their caretakers' love lives in this family-oriented comedy. Amanda (Mary Kate Olsen) is the orphan, a scrappy young girl with no family, relying on the support of her caring social worker, Diane (Kirstie Alley). When Diane brings Amanda to a summer camp, she first encounters Alyssa (Ashley Olsen), the wealthy daughter of the camp's sponsor, Roger Callaway (Steve Guttenberg). The girls immediately bond and decide to switch places for the fun of it. They soon conclude that their lives would be improved if Roger and Diane were to get together and form a family, and they set out to bring the adults together. More jaded, older viewers may be put off by the film's saccharine tone and derivative, Parent Trap-like narrative, but the inoffensive humor and the presence of popular TV stars the Olsen Twins should appeal to family audiences. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 41 min.
Directed By: Andy Tennant
Genres: Drama, Kids & Family, Comedy

In Theaters: Nov 17, 1995 Wide
On DVD: Jun 11, 2002
Studio: Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

Leonard Klady, Variety
The film's underlying sentiment is conveyed effectively, if obviously.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
Under the direction of Andy Tennant, the Olsen sisters lay on the icky-poo cuteness with several trowels, often delivering their lines as though they were reciting the alphabet.
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
A harmless caper that ought to thrill girls under 12, and offer modest diversion to their parents.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Writer Deborah Dean Davis and director Andy Tennant are fully aware of the absolute predictability of their material and therefore make the getting to an inevitable ending as much fun as possible.
Mike Clark, USA Today
A rote variation on Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper that is marginally salvaged by those spunky Olsen twins from ABC's Full House.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
It's so featherbrained and lightweight, it almost elevates its inconsequence into a style.
Nancy Davis Kho, Common Sense Media
Olsens in Prince and the Pauper meets Parent Trap.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Adorable munchkins or cloying brats? You be the judge.
, Time Out
Alas, the Olsen girls are not immediately heart-warming.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
To quote one of the characters, 'We mustn't! We mustn't!'
Janet Branagan, Apollo Guide
A reasonably good take on a great classic.
Clint Morris, Moviehole
I'd rather stick a needle in my eye than sit through this again
Michael Haile, Boxoffice Magazine
A paper-thin, predictable family comedy.
, Empire Magazine
Kids will certainly lap it up but adults will guess the plot after five minutes and be left drumming their fingers for the remaining hour-and-a-half.

Read all 14 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Bethany M

Childhood favourite and a classic!
AJ V

The Olsen twins first big movie is actually watchable. It's predictable, and somewhat like The Parent Trap, but kids will like it.
Jennifer D

This was before I had good taste in film...
Wahida K

This Movie is so fricking funny.
Dean M

<i>The Prince and the Pauper</i> meets <i>The Parent Trap</i> in a bland, inoffensive comedy for very small children. The Olsen twins perform dutifully but lack the experience to carry a whole film.
Rachel F

So cute.
Dan S

Not bad, but not great.
Jennifer X

SUCH a wannabe parent trap film. ugh.
danny d

goofy but i liked seeing guttenburg do something
Leigh R

I thought it was cute.
Emily A

My drama teacher is in this movie! Look for the guy who serves the street kid escargot. Besides that, this movie is still fun to watch. Dov teifenback has been acting a long time.
Sarah G

I had to sit through a lot of their films because of my younger sister. This has to be the best one.
Joseph E

I saddingly enjoyed it more than I thought.
Yinalí R

Classic.
Andrew F

It is actually a lot of fun.
Sunil J

Probably the only time I ever found the Olsen twins completely adorable. This is a semi-guilty pleasure.
Erin C

I watched this movie SO many times when I was little...before the Olsen twins became the skanks they are today. Very cute movie for young girls.
Janice :

Cute and peachy. I never get tired of this! This is timeless! Oh and by the way, don't be all "Omg she likes this". Well you know, sometimes I act like a girl. I wonder why...
Haley A

An enjoyable family film.