Before the Sprouse twins arrived at Disney Studios, the Magic Kingdom had Tia and Tamera Mowry and at the height of their sister act career they did Twitches and its sequel Twitches Two for Disney. They still have careers, but I think they're concentrating on being wives and mothers.

The girls are from another dimension in an enchanted kingdom called Coventry. They were separated at birth and given to different adoptive human parents, they still feel a connection and something missing. Their real mother is the Queen of Coventry and she's now married to her late husband's brother.

At the age of 21 the two discover each other and while they like the idea of having their lives now explained the two have trouble getting together to fight the evil known as the Dark Shadow. That's the best part of the film, the concept of this nameless, formless evil is really frightening.

I think some of you will note similarities with The Parent Trap, The Corsican Brothers and of course Hamlet in the genesis of this film. Some may find others.

It's a nice mix, the girls are wholesome and attractive and this is a frightening film as much within the Disney G rated parameters as it can be.

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.

In the magic realm of Coventry, the twin sisters Artemis and Apolla are saved by their protectors Illeana (Jennifer Robertson) and Karsh (Pat Kelly) from the Darkness and brought to another dimension. They are adopted by different families but in their twenty-first birthday, their protectors force them to meet each other. Alex Fielding (Tia Mowry) lost her mother three months ago and is alone seeking a job while Camryn Barnes (Tamara Mowry) lives with her beloved wealthy parents. Once together they find that they have magic powers and they should return to Coventry to save their biological mother and their kingdom from the Darkness.

"Twitches" is a naive family entertainment with good messages in the end. The predictable and forgettable story is a typical product from Disney studios, full of the usual clichés of good versus evil and darkness versus love and more recommended for children. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): Not Available