The Parent Trap II

Just about any 80's kid who had the Disney channel remembers this movie with great fondness...this was one of my favorite movies, and my sister and I loved to watch it over and over. I wanted to BE Nikki and Mary...I wanted their clothes, their bikes, their rooms, their parents...they even made me want to go to summer school! (Sort of.) Watching the movie always takes me back to when I was 8 years old and a big fan of the "Parent Trap" movies (I saw the original first). This is a great movie to watch as a kid (especially when you're a girl) since it shows the kids trying to control their parents' destinies by scheming to get them together. It's always fun to watch a movie where the kids are in control, instead of the parents!

As for the movie itself, it's a cute and fun sequel to the popular original, but don't expect a movie in the same caliber. This was a made-for-the Disney Channel-movie, after all. And since it's told through the point of view of the kids, it's clearly targeted to a pre-teen audience. Keeping this in mind, you should enjoy the film once you realize that it's completely different than the original in terms of production value, writing, setting, plot, you name it. Fans of Hayley Mills should get a kick out of seeing her reprise her role as the famous twins 25 years later.

This was one of my favorites as a kid! I wish it were on VHS! Great sequal! I haven't seen the following 2 sequals, but I doubt they could compare! Mills brings the characters alive once again, and the supporting cast is great! Wonderful family fun!!!

OK, so looking back on this movie now that I'm an adult, I realize it is probably not the most quality movie I have ever seen. But as a kid, I loved it. I taped it off of the Wonderful World of Disney and watched it over and over. There are some very funny lines, and I love how the maid is nosy, just like in the first movie. But my main problem is how can Haley Mills, a blond, have a daughter who's a red head? If you loved the first Parent Trap, see the sequel, just so you can know what happens to Susan and Sharon once they're all grown up.

Favorite line: "All right, but he's really cute. For a minute I thought he was Ralph Machio."

Some pretty outrageous events took place in this movie! First, Nicki Ferris and Mary Grand meet and become friends. Nicki's mom, Sharon Ferris, announces they are moveing to New York, Nicki doesn't want to go, so she and Mary put their heads together and come up with some ideas that are out of this world! (Why couldn't I think of something like that?) She gets her Aunt Susan Cary involved and she actually agrees to help! No grown up, especially a married one, would agree to impersonate someone and date a man she doesn't know. This is just too funny!

I've always had a soft-spot for this movie. I can't remember a time when I didn't know the original "The Parent Trap." My father is so in love with Hayley Mills that I just barely escaped being named Hayley - in fact, if you want the truth - had my last name not also begun with an "H" it's very likely that it would be my name.

Anyway, growing up with a father who is THAT devoted to Hayley Mills, there's no way I could avoid watching this. I saw it the first time it came on in 1986, when I was four years old. No, it's not as good as the original, but I always liked it. It's really cute. The script is well-written. Yes, it borders on the ridiculous, but - HELLO - you want to tell me that "The Parent Trap" doesn't? Nah, they're both unlikely stories, held together by the wonderful Hayley Mills.

Tom Skirrett does a wonderful job, and as a child of the '80s, I can't help but mention the two young stars who actually do turn in wonderful performances. First there's little Brigette Andersen - a beautiful little girl (those of us who were kids in the '80s will remember her as Gretel from Faerie Tale Theatre) who sadly, passed away in 1997. And then there's sweet Carrie Kei Heim - who will always be best known to me as Cornelia in "Santa Claus." A spunky red-head who's surprisingly, a very good actress - even if she does look nothing like Hayley Mills. Well, despite its 1980s-made-for-TV-look (there's even a reference to Ralph Macchio - God save us!) I still love this movie, and I always will.