Twitches Too

The enjoyment a lot of folks have with magic is very believable and has been around as long as the beginning of human life. To be able to think up objects, move things around and influence your environment with nothing more than your mind is what we would all love to have at some point. Despite most witches in fiction being villains a good witch can give great potential for an exciting story. If you start with a good witch and double her you get one of the famous films from Disney, “Twitches,” twin witches. Doug Maclean said in his review, “The film is another from Disney that is geared towards the ‘tween market so please don’t approach this movie with adult sensibilities.” It is meant to be fun for kids and be interesting for the parents. It succeeds perfectly in both ways. Since this combines the constant interest in magic with the natural request of twins they have a novel plot tool going here. Put a little royalty into the film and you have the creation of a new fairy tale for everyone. Maclean noted, “In some ways this is Disney going back to their roots and performing a bit of recombinant genetics.” Disney started with magic and witches back in the forties. They have more films and television shows with princess that is hard to keep up with. Disney even has a number of films with twins with the original and remake versions of “The Parent Trap.” It seemed only fitting for all these themes to eventually make their way into a single production.

The Disney Company basically made family entertainment. The kids watching their shows and movies are the third or fourth generation of Disney fans. This film is actually enjoyable to watch. It has humor, drama and little scary scenes, which is appropriate of everyone. “Twitches Too” is the 2007 sequel to “Twitches” but even if you never saw the first one you can quickly get into this one. Just be careful because anyone who hasn’t seen the first one will probably want to go back and watch it after seeing the sequel. Maclean noted, “This film premiered on their channel during their Halloween sweeps period and was tied in to the start of a new ‘tween series, ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’. Now the Disney Studios are releasing this movie to DVD with a ‘Double Charmed’ edition. This paradigm of premiering an original film on television and following it up a few months later with a DVD release works well. Disney always makes sure there is something on the disc that was not available on the televised version. If have a ‘tween in your home then you know this already; your DVD collection undoubtedly has more than a few Disney titles.”

The movie starts with a small recap of the first film. The story takes place in Conventry where a fight between good and evil occurred. In the middle of the fight twin daughters were born, Camryn Barnes (Tamera Mowry) and Alex Fielding (Tia Mowry). For their safety they were separated and sent to another dimension. At the age of 21 they finally met and found out they are witches with different types of magical powers. They return to Coventry, banish their evil uncle and free the land from darkness. They also found out they are princesses. At the end of the first movie it looked liked the danger was over but if it was they wouldn’t have made a sequel. The twin’s mother Queen Miranda, played by Kristen Wilson, is obviously worried. She looks at a picture of her late husband Aaron who was killed in the recent fight. Maclean noted, “As she walks through a dark passage a bluish glow follows; it calls her name. Clutching her book of spells Miranda runs out of the passage and uses her magic to seal it.” Back in the other dimension Camryn is having a difficult time mastering her magic. She is also getting used to have Alex living with her. Alex is excited about starting college. Unlike Camryn who had wealthy adopted parents Alex never had that sort of luxury. Both of Camryn’s parents Emily (Karen Holness) and David (Arnold Pinnock) know about her powers and that she doesn’t really have control of them yet. Both girls have an amulet that is one half of their real family’s crest. Camryn has a sun and Alex a crescent moon.

Two of the girl’s friends from Coventry, Karsh (Pat Kelly) and Ileana (Leslie Seiler) come through a portal in the swimming pool to tell the twins they are getting married. Both of them also have magical powers. The Queen wants the sisters to come back for the wedding. While talking it comes out that Camryn has been dreaming of her real father and drawing his crest, the crescent moon, Miranda’s is the sun which is the amulets the girls wear. Camryn goes back to Coventry but Alex stays behind for her first day at college. Camryn can’t wait to start the princess process. While Camryn is getting used to the life as a princess Alex meets Camryn’s ex-boyfriend Marcus, played by Nathan Stephenson. Camryn also meets a handsome young man Demitri, played by Chris Gallinger. Things get more serious when Miranda tells the girls that their uncle Thantos, played by Patrick Fabian, known as “The Darkness” is growing in power. The Queen needs them to perform a Vanquishing Spell during a solar eclipse when their powers are at their peak. Since Alex is represented by the crescent moon, the moon partially in shadow, she is easier to influence towards the darkness. Their father is in the Shadowland and has been trying to contact them. It turns out that Thantos is trying to get the girls to recite the wrong spell destroying the Shadowland.

The movie has everything a ‘tween could want. There is romance, action and some pretty good special effects seeing this is a television movie with a lower budget than other films like “Harry Potter.” Most important from a parental point of view the movie has some strong family values in it. Camryn’s adopted parents are patient and understanding, even when she tries her magic and destroys her dad’s car. They are steady in their relationship with their adopted daughter that they are fine with her getting to know her real mother who is a magical queen. There is also the always clichéd theme of love that conquers everything. When Camryn finds out the man she has a crush on is not a prince and doesn’t have magic she still has feelings for him. Then there is the other overused fight of good versus evil. When Alex is tricked by the evil forces it is clear that she is not herself. It can help children understand that in everyone there is a fight to do the right thing. From a technical viewpoint the film is paced just right for a younger audience. The exposition is kept easy and is given in small amounts interrupted with action. The special effects are simply eye-candy.

Tamera and Tia Mowry really help this film move along. They should be used to where the twins separated at birth since this was the story of their TV show “Sister, Sister.” It is comforting to know that both are getting films on their own instead of just as a pair of twins. Maclean noted, “They are both talented young women with a natural knack for physical comedy. Since they are about to enter their thirties they may be going out of the ‘tween market and while regrettable it is understandable.”

I feel like I like this film just as much as the first one. I grew up watching “Sister, Sister” in the 90s and I had a fun time watching that, so I guess it doesn’t come as a surprise that I would get into these two films. I would definitely recommend this one for everyone who is a fan of the Mowry twins, to those who grew up watching “Sister, Sister” and if they enjoyed the first one.

Alright everyone, look out tomorrow because I’m going to review a film that I totally loathe in “Disney Channel Original Movie Month.”