Twins Parent Guide

Jules Benedict (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is the perfect man by design- bigger, stronger, and smarter than any other. His DNA is the result of a genetic experiment involving six fathers (all of whom were exceptional in some way) and one remarkable mother. Following his birth, he was raised on an island in the South Pacific by Professor Werner (Tony Jay) and taught philosophy, literature, history, martial arts, and 12 languages, in which he became fluent. But when Professor Werner reveals he has a twin brother, living in Los Angeles, Jules takes off at once to find him. Enter Vincent Benedict (Danny DeVito). Short, sly, and criminally inclined, Vincent seems to be the opposite of his twin. Once Jules has bailed Vincent out of jail, the two start to see some commonalities - and find themselves on a quest for their mother, mixed in with some criminal activity.

If this movie were released today, it would earn a PG-13 rating. You can’t exactly blame the film for that, since it was released before such a rating was widely accepted, but parents should be aware that there is going to be more sex and profanity in this than the PG rating might initially suggest.

The negative content is unfortunate, because Twins is otherwise a very heartfelt movie about the importance of family. With some amazing casting to highlight the differences between the two brothers, Twins spends its runtime pointing out that you can’t judge a book by its cover - or in this case, its strong Austrian accent. Arnie’s genuine earnestness contrasts wonderfully with DeVito’s jaded big city cynicism. The premise is just goofy enough to make it all work, although the silliness does at times overwhelm the emotional core of the picture.

While this isn’t appropriate viewing for children, teens with an appreciation for 80s cheesiness and goofball humor should enjoy watching Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito adjust their ties in perfect sync and walk into the bright L.A. sunshine in search of their family. And if it’s too silly for them, then parents will likely have a good time catching a blast from the past, back when movies were a more mixed bag of childlike stories and adult humor.