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(About Our Ads) "NEW YORK MINUTE" (2004) (Ashley Olsen, Mary-Kate Olsen) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Minor Minor *Heavy *Minor None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Heavy None Minor Minor Minor Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence *Mild None Mild Moderate Moderate QUICK TAKE: Comedy: Twin sisters, who couldn't be more different from each other personality-wise, clash during a trip to Manhattan where things progressively get out of control for them. PLOT: Jane (ASHLEY OLSEN) and Roxy Ryan (MARY-KATE OLSEN) may be twin sisters, but beyond their identical looks, they couldn't be more different. Jane is an uptight good girl who's anxious about an upcoming speech that could win a scholarship to Oxford University. Roxy, on the other hand, skips school so much that warrant officer Max Lomax (EUGENE LEVY) has been trailing her for years. Instead of being interested in academics like her sister, Roxy's ditched school so that she can attend a music video shoot and give her demo tape to the band's handlers. Although the two don't get along, they end up traveling together to Manhattan for their respective missions. Yet, when a piracy thief slips a hot microchip into Roxy's bag to avoid being caught by the authorities, the twins' day is disrupted. Not only is Lomax hot on Roxy's trail, but they also now have another man following them. He's Bennie Bang (ANDY RICHTER), a gangster wannabe who works for the entertainment pirates and now has Jane's all important day-planner, without which she'll be unable to give her speech. With the aid of Trey (JARED PADALECKI), the adult son of a Senator, and Jim (RILEY SMITH), a bike messenger, the teen twins try to accomplish their respective goals while continuing to clash with each other. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of the Olsen twins or anyone else in the cast, it's a good bet that they just might. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For mild sensuality and thematic elements. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ASHLEY OLSEN plays an uptight good girl who's concerned that her sister's antics will prevent her from giving her important scholarship speech. She gets flustered and occasionally hyperventilates when complications arise, but eventually comes around to seeing the good in her sister. MARY-KATE OLSEN plays her wilder twin sister who habitually skips school, is unkempt and thinks her sister is too uptight (but similarly also sees the good in her). EUGENE LEVY plays the serious truant officer who's been after Roxy for years. ANDY RICHTER plays the bumbling gangster who wants his piracy-related microchip back from the girls. JARED PADALECKI plays a Senator's son who helps the girls. RILEY SMITH plays a bike messenger who helps Jane. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick look at the content found in this comedy that's been rated PG. Profanity consists of just a few minor expletives and colorful phrases, but various, albeit mild double entendres are present. As is the sexualization of the two main characters, whether from said dialogue or other material including implied nudity or appearing in scanty covering. Various bits of imitative behavior are present, as are various bad attitudes, although most are played for non-realistic comedy. The same holds true for the violence that includes a brief fight, other hitting and various instances of slapstick style material. A few scenes might be a little unsettling for very young viewers, while some crude humor is present. A man spills his alcohol-laced beverage on one of the girls (prompting some related comments), while tense family material includes the sisters not getting along as well as brief talk of their mother being dead. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE A homeless man accidentally spills his beverage onto Jane that apparently contained alcohol because they comment on that, as does a store clerk later who says that Jane shouldn't be drinking at this early time of day. BLOOD/GORE Literal bathroom humor includes the following: Jane reacts to the smell upon entering a convenience store's bathroom. She then puts paper onto the toilet seat (as she earlier did in her own home) and goes to sit down, but then falls into the bowl (not completely seen). When we then see her leaving the store, she has a long trail of toilet paper running from under her skirt. We see a small dog crouched over an open toilet. Roxy and Jane try to get a dog to defecate so that they can retrieve the microchip that it ate. One says that they think something related is happening with the dog, but we then just hear a fart sound from the pooch. There's more talk there and in other scenes about the dog "pooping." A dog pees on Bennie's face and shirt as he holds it up in front of him. Trying to get the swallowed microchip out of the dog, Bennie wants it to drink some sort of laxative, saying the liquid goes in one end and the chip will come out the other. He then drinks some of that liquid himself, but we never see its effect on him. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE All of the following is played for comedy, but some viewers may be offended by the stereotypical/caricature portrayal of Chinese people (and an American doing a bad Chinese accent), an Indian convenience store owner, a gay beauty shop worker, and the sexualization of the Olsen sisters. Roxy prints a school sick excuse form from her computer, asks her dad to sign a fake field trip permission slip, and then uses the latter to trace his signature onto the school excuse form. We hear that Roxy is the number one truant student in her county and that Lomax has been after her for years, but that she always outsmarts and/or gives him the slip. She continues to flee from him during the film and eventually gets away with her truant behavior. Roxy drives across traffic to speed into a parking space. The film's villains all obviously have bad attitudes (mostly played in goofy comedy style) as they're involved in pirating and bootlegging products and then trying to capture Roxy or Jane to get their microchip back. Roxy remotely deletes a phone message that Lomax left for her dad on their answering machine. Roxy sneaks into a hotel room just as the door is closing. Jane reluctantly joins her (the two do so to clean up and possibly get a change of clothes). Trey lies to his mom about the whereabouts of her dog (to cover for Roxy and Jane). Bennie says that he's going to run over the dog to retrieve the microchip that it's eaten, but then realizes that would damage the chip. Later, his female boss indicates she wants to stab the pooch that's swallowed her microchip with what look like metal chopsticks, but she doesn't. Some viewers may take offense to one of the girls telling the other (upon seeing only black people in Harlem), "We're not in Kansas anymore." A black person refers to a white person as a "cracker." Roxy tries to fool those in attendance by pretending to be Jane and giving her speech (although she does so to cover for Jane not being there). FRIGHTENING SCENES All of the following is played for light laughs, but some of the scenes might be a little unnerving for younger viewers. Roxy's pet boa slides into the shower with Jane who then screams at the sight of it (all played for laughs, but those scared of snakes might not like the scene). Bennie locks Roxy and Jane into his limo (abduction), but they escape through the sunroof. Trey's dog nips at Roxy as she holds it, so she tosses the pooch to Trey who tosses it back to her and so on. Trey then tosses it toward Jane who ducks out of the way, not realizing there's an open window (many stories above the street) behind her. The dog flies out the window and they think the worst, but then see that it's okay and scampering across the ledge. Jane then goes out on the ledge (wearing just a towel and slippers) and tries to get the dog (as the camera shot shows how high she is above the street). Roxy eventually joins her and the two end up in a window cleaner's suspended cart that then ends up falling rapidly toward the street, pausing a few times, before stopping, tipping and dumping the two girls into a trash dumpster (they're okay and it's all played for comedy rather than true or realistic suspense). Bennie abducts Jane by grabbing and then putting her into a cart. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Chill," "Nerd," "Losers," "Einstein," "My aunt Fanny," "Smarty pants," "You moron," "Bring it on, tubby," "Don't freak," "Out of the way, suckers," "It's the psycho," "Shut up," "My bad," "You rock," "Anal retentive," "She's a cuckoo bird," "You're insane," "Sherlock," "What's up with this fool?" "Dang," "Cracker," "Put a sock in it," "Gomer," "You snooze, you lose" and "Zip it, odd-job." Roxy prints a school sick excuse form from her computer, asks her dad to sign a fake field trip permission slip, and then uses the latter to trace his signature onto the school excuse form. Jane finds a note from Roxy in her day-planner that reads, "Remove stick from butt." Roxy drives across traffic to speed into a parking space. Benny speaks with a bad Chinese accent (since he works for a Chinese criminal). Roxy remotely deletes a phone message that Lomax left for her dad on their answering machine. Roxy sneaks into a hotel room just as the door is closing. Jane reluctantly joins her (the two do so to clean up and possibly get a change of clothes). A miscellaneous young woman wears a midriff-revealing top, while a miscellaneous guy has a Mohawk haircut. Roxy tells Lomax to check his fly -- as a distraction -- so that she can escape. Roxy and Jane run and jump into a crowd at a concert, with those in the crowd passing them over their heads. Lomax then tries the same, but the people part to the side and he crashes to the street. Jane runs over various things while driving a cab (out of control) and trying to elude Lomax who's chasing them in a camper. She ends up driving in reverse through an alley and blasts through a fence. Finding gridlock in front of them, Jim rides his bike (with Jane on it) up and over various cars. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A tiny bit of comedy-oriented, suspenseful music plays in a few scenes. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A lyric from a song includes the phrase, "Good God," while another had what sounded like "damn" in it. PROFANITY At least 1 "damn," 6 uses of "Oh my God," 4 of "Oh God" and 1 use each of "God" and "Good God." SEX/NUDITY Some viewers may read more into the following material and thus see it as more than a "mild" amount. At face value, however, it earns the current rating. Jane has a dream where she ends up behind a podium for her speech and we see her bare shoulders from a front view and then her bare back from the rear view. She then steps away from the podium (in the front view) and everyone reacts to her nudity (that we don't see -- we only see a head and shoulders shot). We see Jane's bare shoulders as she showers. We see a businessman in his boxers on a train after Roxy and Jane have managed to spill things on him (he's presumably removed his pants to dry). After Jane's skirt gets tangled in Jim's bike, she tells him, "If you can't get it out, I'll just take my skirt off" (and then realizes what she just said). She eventually tries to pull away from the bike, thus ripping off the bottom half of her skirt (leaving her in a shortened one). As Trey enters his mom's hotel room and removes his shirt, he discovers Roxy there in just a robe (and her hair flips back in slow motion as a song with the lyric, "Hey baby" plays on the soundtrack). Jane then walks out of the bathroom wearing just a towel wrapped around her and similarly flips her hair back in slow motion. Trey can't believe his eyes (in an excited way) and asks, "Is today my birthday?" (for finding attractive twins in such attire). Later, and after sliding off a window cleaner's cart and ending up in a trash dumpster, Jane realizes her towel is stuck on the end of the cart above her (implying that she's lying nude in the dumpster, but we don't see anything). We then see that she apparently retrieved the towel as she and Roxy (still in her robe) walk through Manhattan dressed that way until they find a change of clothes. As they do, they pass a buff male street performer who's playing the guitar in just a small and tight pair of white shorts. Jim accidentally runs into Jane on his bike, sending both to the street with him landing on top of her. He then asks if he's squashing her and she says that he is, but that it's great. A male beauty salon worker is portrayed as being effeminately gay. During a musical montage inside a beauty salon, the camera occasionally and briefly focuses on several women's clothed butts as they sashay or move around to the music. Saying goodbye to Jim, Jane says, "It was great bumping into you today." He then replies, "Maybe we can bump again" (and then pauses after realizing what that sounded like). SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Jane passes by her mom's picture on the wall and states "Miss you." Roxy and Jane don't get along until late in the film. Jane and Roxy get into a verbal fight over each sister not appreciating the other. Roxy also brings up their mother dying and Jane then trying to act like the mom to her. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Dealing with siblings. Skipping school. Entertainment piracy. VIOLENCE Most of the following is played in a slapstick fashion. Roxy accidentally hits a man in the nose with a door. We see Roxy tossed out of a train to the ground below (slapstick style). Bennie grabs a man's cane and comes at Roxy with it. She uses her drumsticks to defend herself; bounces off a wall and does a roundhouse kick to his head; spins Jane around so that her feet hit him; and then pulls his coat over his head and kicks him into a waiting subway car. After Jane starts to hyperventilate, Roxy slaps her to make her stop. Trey's dog nips at Roxy as she holds it, so she tosses the pooch to Trey who tosses it back to her and so on. Roxy falls backwards off a hotel bed. Jim accidentally runs into Jane on his bike, sending both to the street with him landing on top of her. Lomax tries to run and jump into a crowd at a concert, but the people part to the side and he crashes to the street. Jane and Roxy end up falling through an open manhole, but are okay. Jane runs over various things while driving a cab (out of control) and trying to elude Lomax who's chasing them in a camper. She ends up driving in reverse through an alley and blasts through a fence as the camper sends sparks flying as it hits the walls in the narrowing alley and then gets stuck. A man spills hot coffee on himself and then bangs his head as Jane wildly drives him through the streets in a cab. Bennie abducts Jane by grabbing and then putting her into a cart. Jane kicks a door into Bennie and then knocks a bookcase or shelving down onto him to escape, while a dog bites Bennie's boss's hand. Lomax has his arm around Roxy's neck as he captures her. Lomax hits two men's heads together as they try to stop him. Reviewed May 3, 2004 / Posted May 7, 2004