Movie Review: The Amazing Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley
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What Parents Should Know
This fare is perfect for grade-schoolers, who will enjoy the
kid-friendly locales (most preteens find this too juvenile).
Each mystery does a good job of exploring its locale, and
there's enough suspense to keep viewers interested, but not
frightened. Extensive NASA footage and an interview with Alan
Bean makes the second episode a particularly educational one.
Watch out for the musical numbers. And parents should be
warned: "The Case of the Sea World Adventure" is likely to
inspire kids to ask for a trip to the theme park, and "The Case
of the Hotel Who-Done-It" requires parents to warn kids that
phone calls from hotel rooms and mini bar refreshments require
parental permission.
Families who watch this video may want to encourage their kids to explore small mysteries around their house, or encourage them to read classic mystery books like the Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys series.
Common Sense Media Review
This anthology of three favorite episodes (chosen by
viewers) includes "The Case of the Sea World Adventure," "The
Case of the U.S. Space Camp Mission," and "The Case of the
Hotel Who-Done-It." In "The Case Of The Sea World Adventure,"
the twins are the daughters of dolphin trainers at Sea World.
After finding a corpse on the park grounds, they track it all
the way to a cruise ship, only to find out that it isn't a
corpse after all.
Mary-Kate and Ashley are summoned to Space Camp to help investigators identify the mysterious tapping sounds coming from the space shuttle in "The Case of the U.S. Space Camp Mission."
In their final adventure, "The Case of the Hotel Who-Done-It," the twins investigate a series of petty robberies in the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel.
The famous "Trench Coat Twins" bring their investigative skills to three adventures, and take their viewers on a tour of some nifty locations. At Sea World, Mary-Kate and Ashley get to participate in the dolphin show -- they even cue the dolphins to flip on command. Their investigation leads them through the park attractions, which will no doubt cause some young viewers to request a Sea World trip.
Even better is their trip to Space Camp. There the girls meet Apollo 12 Astronaut Alan Bean, and go through a basic training program on zero-gravity space simulators. As it happens, this particular adventure derives from a real dilemma that beset a 1995 shuttle launch. Kids and parents will be entertained by this mystery's resolution, and they'll be impressed by the space footage.
The twins' last adventure is less educational than the "Space Camp" case, but it does paint a pretty picture of vacation life in Honolulu.
Each of these episodes is spirited and funny, and shows off the twins at their cutest. While occasionally a lame musical number breaks out, in general the plots intrigue young viewers, and may even teach them something. A fine choice for young mystery lovers and Olsen fans.
For more Mary-Kate and Ashley intrigue, try The Case of the Volcano Mystery. Young sleuths may also enjoy Madeline and the 40 Thieves. Teens prefer videos by mystery master Alfred Hitchcock, including Vertigo .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
