Twitches

Wealthy, pampered, and popular Camryn is turning 21, and she feels like "something special is going to happen." Responsible, hardworking Alex is also turning 21, and she feels like "something horrible is going to happen." They are both right: before meeting on this fateful day, neither could have imagined that they were twin sisters separated at birth, nor that they were both witches whose powers would be unleashed with their reunion. Now they must learn to work together to defeat the Darkness that threatens to destroy them and their true home kingdom of Coventry. Based on the popular book by of the same name by H.B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfeld, the Disney Channel-aired Twitches has the makings of a franchise vehicle for twins Tia and Tamera Mowry (Sister, Sister). As is often the case, the rather obvious comic relief here is mostly provided by silly adults: Jennifer Robertson and Pat Kelly costar as Illeana and Karsh, the girls' protectors from another dimension who have difficulty getting used to the new strange ways ("I went through some '70s wallpaper that's gonna scar me for life," Illeana complains when she materializes through a wall). Mildly scary (when Darkness falls), Twitches recalls Disney's Halloweentown films in tenor, though the narrative here is unexceptional—the tricks are the real treat, as when the girls test out their newfound powers in a montage set to The Go-Go's peppy "We Got the Beat." Optional. [Note: DVD extras include “The Magic Behind Coventry” featurette with costars Tia and Tamera Mowry (6 min.), a four-minute “Disney Channel Original Movie” behind-the-scenes featurette, a two-minute alternate ending, a “Twitches' Crystal Ball Predictions” DVD game, and trailers. Bottom line: a slight extras package for a so-so family film.] (D. Liebenson)