Teen-fun 'New York Minute' maps out nothing new for the Olsen twins

Like the famed 1986 flick "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," the movie "New York Minute" -- starring twin wunderkinds Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen -- is a story about kids playing hooky and, more importantly, a story about friendship during the tumultuous teenage years.

MOVIE REVIEW

NEW YORK MINUTE

DIRECTOR: Dennie Gordon

CAST: Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, Andy Richter, Jared Padalecki, Riley Smith, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy

RUNNING TIME: 86 minutes

RATING: PG for mild sensuality and thematic elements.

WHERE: Cinema 17, Crossroads 8, Everett 9, Factoria, Galleria 11, Gateway 8, Grand Cinemas, Issaquah 9, Marysville Cinema 14, Metro, Monroe 12, Mountlake 9, Pacific Place, Parkway Plaza 12, Redmond Town Center, Renton Village, South Hill Mall, Valley Drive-in, Woodinville 12

GRADE: C

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In this comedic action romp, the Olsen twins play sisters who've grown apart since the death of their mother. Type A overachiever Jane Ryan (played by Ashley) must give a speech at Columbia University in order to win a prestigious scholarship to Oxford University. Meanwhile, Type F underachiever Roxy Ryan (Mary-Kate) is a would-be rock star planning to ditch school to attend a music video shoot.

The two are forced to head into the Big Apple together and, of course, that's when things go awry. They spend one long day eluding an overzealous truancy officer (Eugene Levy), fleeing from the adopted-son of Chinese music pirates (Andy Richter), chasing a very ugly dog and, of course, bumping into a few cute boys along the way.

Fans of the twins likely will enjoy "New York Minute," but this movie probably won't win the girls any new followers. The film rests on a contrived and predictable plot. It certainly lacks the kind of comedic dexterity that made "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" a teen mainstay.

The comedic talents of Levy ("A Mighty Wind" and "Best in Show") are wasted. And Richter turns in an almost unbearably grating performance as a white limo driver who thinks he's Chinese.

As for Mary-Kate and Ashley, the twins just sort of do what they always do. They look cute. They bat their eyelashes. They make you wonder how on earth they could possibly be fraternal twins rather than identical. These girls aren't bad actors, it's just they have yet to prove they're good actors.

These pint-size media moguls made millions with their long-running stint on "Full House" and a series of video releases. "New York Minute" is their first feature film since they were 9 ("It Takes Two").

The transition for child stars into adult stardom is a difficult one for sure and most kid actors never make it. Clearly "New York Minute" was meant to be a part of this transition for the twins.

Yes, "New York Minute" is a fun-enough teenage adventure suitable for the whole family. The thing is, Mary-Kate and Ashley are 17. They aren't little girls any more and, though some of their fans probably are, these actresses need to take a stab at something meatier lest they find themselves left behind with the rest of the childhood detritus. It would have been nice if someone had given them better material to work with.

Winda Benedetti is a Seattle-based free-lance writer who can be reached at WindaBenedetti@hotmail.com.