6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Julius and Vincent Benedict are the results of an experiment that would allow for the perfect child. Julius was planned and grows to athletic proportions. Vincent is an accident and is somewhat smaller in stature. Vincent is placed in an orphanage while Julius is taken to a south seas island and raised by philosophers. Vincent becomes the ultimate low life and is about to be killed by loan sharks when Julius discovers that he has a brother and begins looking for him.
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Kelly Preston, Chloe Webb, Bonnie BartlettFamily | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
“Twins” is a 1988 endeavor from director Ivan Reitman, and it’s the king of high concept comedies. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito play twin brothers. Boom, done. One doesn’t need much more than that to sell the picture to the masses, but the screenplay (credited to four writers) is certainly in the mood to provide a full buffet of tones and gags to help support the display of sheer star power. What initially appears to be a gentle offering of brotherly love somehow turns into semi-violent study of crime, blended with something of a love story and frosted with parental concern. “Twins” is all over the place, but it remains a charming offering from Reitman, who understands that all he really needs is time with Schwarzenegger and DeVito, with their natural screen presence and different thespian skills making a little magic for the helmer.
"Twins" was the highest grossing release from Universal Pictures in 1988, ending up the fifth highest grossing movie of the film year (sandwiched between "Big," and "Crocodile Dundee II"). Despite such success and enduring fanbase, the feature is only now making its debut on Region A Blu-ray, with Universal weirdly denying the selling potential of the hit picture. Shout Factory tries their best to do something with "Twins," but a fresh scan wasn't provided for a 2020 release, forcing the company to work with a master that looks like it was created during the Clinton Administration. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) is old and flat, though efforts are made to give it some appeal. Detail isn't there for an already softly shot endeavor, and while waxiness isn't an issue, screen textures aren't alive and grain is zombified, looking unnatural. Dimension doesn't come through, and facial surfaces aren't defined to satisfaction. Colors offer mild period hues, with pinks and reds passable, but the overall palette is aged. Delineation is prone to moments of solidification, and some clipping is detected. Again, Shout Factory tries to smack the source into something appealing, but they can't shake age-related issues.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix secures dialogue exchanges with comfortable clarity, offering crisp performances that highlight active behavior and Schwarzenegger's thick accent. Musical efforts deliver enjoyable volume and clear instrumentation, and soundtrack cuts supply clean beats and sharp guitars, along with defined vocals. Atmospherics aren't powerful, but street activity is understood, and outdoor expanse is communicated.
"Twins" is best served with softness and shenanigans between the brothers, giving the stars room to play, which they do with enthusiasm. Reitman sets the pace early on, and gets the story where it needs to go, fumbling a few ideas along the way, but he never tanks the movie. It's a showcase for Schwarzenegger and DeVito, and that's all "Twins" really has to be. Attempts to butch the film up with hostile encounters only inspires a wish for more one-on-one time with two of the oddest siblings in Hollywood history.
1976
1986
2007
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1987
2007
Choice Collection
1994
1979
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2011
1986
1994
35th Anniversary Edition
1989
1988
2005
2011
1991
Director's Cut
2019
2017