Twitches is a movie that has a kind heart and easygoing sentiment, which makes criticism and mediocre reception a bit disheartening. The film isn't particularly harmful, is very often silly, redundant, but always has its heart in the right place along with having the ability to be cherished by kids who grew up with it or a new generation of Disney Channel audiences.
But film criticism - at least on my end - won't be as kind as I was hoping for Twitches. It's a pretty bland, frothy film, with little conflict, subpar special effects (especially considering its $20 million budget, which is absurdly large for a Television movie), and boring leads with little talents outside of having the looks to be on TV. The film could be an effective poster-child for describing the cinematic equivalent of flat soda.
The film stars Tia and Tamera Mowry from TV's Sister, Sister (one of the many TV shows from the nineties my generation fetishizes). They star as Alexandra and Camryn, respectively, two magical twin sisters who were separated at birth when a war on their homeland of the Coventry claimed the life of their father. When their guardians transport them to the land where magic is non-existent - also known as Earth - the girls are raised in separate homes and have no idea of each others existence. Alex grows up quietly, with few friends and a mother who died recently. Meanwhile, Camryn is blessed with an upper-class lifestyle and a talent for drawing.
The two girls celebrate their twenty-first birthday on Halloween, and run into each other at the mall. They are astounded by the fact that they look very similar to each other and are informed by those same aforementioned guardians of their life back in the Coventry. The girls both knew of the Coventry in some way, but never knew what its connection was. For example, Camryn thought it came directly from her mind when she was drawing. Now, in a time of total chaos, the sisters must restore the Coventry The sisters Mowry have the looks and charm to be on Television, but, as demeaning as it is to say, do not have the acting capabilities. Their performances are carried largely by smiles and perky attitudes, while their dialog is largely given nothing but a wooden justice. It also doesn't help that Stuart Gillard's direction is rather flat and, for some baffling reason, the four writers who joined forces to create this film couldn't breed some considerable life into its material. The production is either hopelessly cheesy, depressingly boring, or in search of a direction in between lax and flashy.
Twitches works as serviceable Disney-fare, and doesn't possess any ridiculous characteristics many kids shows/movies are known to possess today. But, if anything, if this and Hocus Pocus prove anything it's that witches aren't that interesting, and very few directions may work to make them a viable point of interest in film.
Starring: Tia Mowry, Tamera Mowry, Kristen Wilson, Patrick Fabian, Jennifer Robertson, and Pat Kelly. Directed by: Stuart Gillard.
