Think Big

My review was written in March 1990 after a screening on Manhattan's Westside.

This undemanding physical comedy is obviously aimed at the video fan, but offers okay gags for theatrical audiences waxing nostalgic for the generally unlamented '70s vehicular comedies involving trucks and cars.

The Barbarian Brothers, actually twins Peter Paul and David Paul, topline as a pair of affable but somewhat dim truckers hauling a load of toxic waste across country. Brainy but beautiful 16-year-old Ari Meyers stows away in their vehicle, as she's on the lam with her secret weapon developed at Martin Mull's think tank for kids.

There's plenty of effective slapstick as cartoonish villains chase after the tri, who are joined later by Meyers' school psychologist, the fast maturing starlet Claudia Christian. David Carradine, in particular, is fun (costumed to resemble his brother Keith) as a nutty repo man.

Meyers, who plays Susan Saint James' daughter on tv's "Kate & Allie" series, is delightful as the precocious heroine and manages to maintain a straight face opposite the cuddly but oversize nonactor Paul brothers. Except for a sex scene with a voluptuous waitress at a diner. The twins remain squeaky clean comic heroes for kids.

Cast's cameo include Richard Kiel gently spoofing his familiar screen heavey image and Olympic great Rafer Johnson cast opposite wrestling star Tiny Lister (aka "Zeus") as fellow truckers.

Only thing getting in the way of the decent gags and one-liners is an unfortunate emphasis on plugola for Coca-Cola product.

My kids loved this movie when they were young. The watched the tape so much it broke into! The movie is based for children and the way my kids loved it, made it a great movie! they went around singing the song all the time. even there friends loved this movie. they are 18 and 19 now and wish they could find it on DVD. I have a 9 yo now and would love to let her watch it to see how she would react. We have done searches for this movie and are unable to find it. It is a great kids movie! they still talk about it. The twins were very good in this movie. the kids loved the trucks. the also loved the chicken bone song and can still sing it.

This movie is so bad it's....BAD! Not to say that I didn't enjoy it. Just looking at the Pauls' skimpy outfits with their steroid pumped torsos was quite a memorable experience. Their acting skills make one governor Schwarzenegger look like an Oscar winner. Occasionally you can see a look of disbelief on the faces of the now successful actors while in a frame with "dumb and dumber". I couldn't help but think how great an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 this would have made. With all that aside, it was a nice reminder that we all have the potential to be a muscle-bound, under- clothed, docile trucker WITH a twin to boot. My only question now is...was the movie title a reference to their bodies...or their hair?

Think Big is a 1990 action comedy that centers around two truckers who get caught up in a mess after a teenage genius stows away in their truck.

Directed by Jon Turteltaub and starring the Barbarian Brothers Peter and David Paul, Think Big isn't exactly the cream of the crop when it comes to '90s action films or comedies, but I'll always love this movie for its big heart and all around fun story and characters.

The brothers star as Rafe and Victor, two dim witted brothers with a heart of gold that have nothing but each other and their truck. But in order to keep their truck they have to make a special delivery on time when things get complicated by a teenage stow away with bad guys on her tail.

The story is simple and gets straight to the point, filling its 90 minute run time with nothing but goofy jokes, fun action scenes and a couple of characters that are hard not to love. It probably won't please everybody, but I love this movie, and if you haven't seen it before, I would recommend it.

A most ironically titled film, "Think Big" is a relatively brainless movie. The whole movie revolves around two appropriately airheaded, truck driving twin brothers who have to save a teen genius and the world's ultimate weapon from the clutches of the bad guys. The weapon? A device that looks like an otherwise ordinary remote control, but can control virtually every electronic device.

Of course, the "humor" comes in when the lamebrained gymrat twins bumble around trying to defeat the baddies. As expected in any b-movie, the humor is substandard and often crude. The Paul brothers play the role of the bungling duo pretty well. The movie also boasts a fairly decent supporting cast, with Martin Mull from Sabrina: The Teenage Witch, Richard Moll from Nightcourt as the brothers' boss and of course, Claudia Christian.

In short, "Think Big" isn't a bad movie for what it is and what it tries to be. Taken lightly, this low budget picture's sophmorish humor and sexual innuendo can be entertaining for a day's rental. Just try to think as little as possible while watching it, and the b-movie lover deep inside you will enjoy it.