The Challenge - Eine echte Herausforderung

1st watched 5/13/2023 - (Dir-Craig Shapiro): Mostly lame, although watch-able near the end in this Mary Kate & Ashley late offering for the twins. They kind of follow the pattern of the Disney film "The Parent Trap" in this one as sisters from across the continent living with divorced mom and dad meet un-expectantly by both applying to be in the reality game show called "The Challenge." Thru a marketing gimmick, the producers decide it would be good for ratings for both to be on the program, and in a weird twist - are also put on the same team. They haven't seen each other for 4 years and don't like each other at all. The producers figure the conflict will bring up ratings. This conflict initially make's their team not do well, but after each challenge - they start learning from each other and start connecting again and the team flourishes. There are the typical romantic things happening - with a nice montage at the end bringing back boyfriends from other movies - making me wonder if this is their last. Also - the tension of the last challenge with Mary Kate & Ashley facing their biggest fears brings the movie out of the "really bad" to "ok" fare. There is never much deep in any of these movies - which is expected, but they definetly have appealed to some to last this long. Not for me, though - and I'm probably not the target audience, either.

Shane and Lizzie are sisters whose parents divorced. Shane went with her mother to California, and she cares about nature, she refuses to eat meat, and she practices yoga. Lizzie stayed with her father in the Washington, D.C., area, and she is intelligent, politically involved, driven to succeed, and carries a cell phone everywhere. Both girls want to change the world, in their own way.

Shane and the others wonder why there are only seven contestants when eight is normal. It seems Lizzie is late (unusual for her, actually), and when she finally does show up, Shane is not happy. Both girls come close to quitting.

The show is part 'Survivor' and part 'Fear Factor'. The eight young people are divided into two teams. Since the show is being filmed in Mexico, the teams are the Aztecs and the Mayans. Both sisters end up on the Mayan team.

As is often true in Disney movies, the ones you don't want to win get ahead in the competition, and you begin to wonder about the team you support, who are subjected to humiliation whenever they fail. But both Shane and Lizzie contribute unique abilities to their team, so there is a chance.

Though I have seen only clips of reality shows, I thought the 'Challenge' program seemed very realistic in its presentation, as if I was watching that show rather than a movie about it. The acting performances were stereotypical for the most part. But I especially enjoyed the conceited swimmer on the Aztec team. And I can't help but like those Olsen twins. At times, especially in the blooper reel at the end and in the interviews that appeared on the 'Challenge' program, they seemed more sophisticated than the cute little girls we have come to know. But they have yet to shake that adorable image.

It wasn't a great movie, and not a classic by any means, but it was Disney-style fun.

This was a pretty cute kids movie by fraternal twins Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen. They play Shane & Lizzie, who have spent the last 4 years apart because their parents wanted different things and the girls had nothing in common anyway. The producers of this Survivor-type reality show (spoofing it right down to the host and the physical challenges, but lacking the elimination of members) noticed that these twins both sent in audition tapes and thought it would be great ratings to have them on the same team.

I won't spoil the rest for you, but needless to say it is a cute movie, and the twins are very adorable (they are almost full-grown adults).

I loved this movie!! My mom and I watched it tonight and we both thought it was very good... I think Mary-Kate and Ashley are excellent actress' and the movie had a great premise.... It is a scaled down version of the TV show Survivor... It is great to see the twins all grown up for a change!!

How amazing is this film??? Yet another classic from the Olsen twins (who never get old!) We've grown up with them, all the way from when they played baby Michelle on Full House. In this film we see them acting very mature in order to win a college scholarship. The Challenge fully demonstrates the teamwork that can be achieved even when people hate each other. It is also a summary of how much sisters really do mean to one another. A bit of a cheesy ending, with Mary-Kate and Ashley walking off saying "we will always have each other" to be followed by clips of them throughout their careers. But all in all, a brilliant display!!!