Double, Double, Toil and Trouble Reviews

This is another tame adventure aimed at the legions of nondiscriminating "Full House" fans. Recommended for parents contemplating pushing their own plain-Jane youngsters into show biz, this seasonal star vehicle is acceptable trick-or-treat fare for the junior pajama party set. Preparations for a traditional jack-o-lantern Halloween get skewed when Oscar (Phil Fundacaro), a dwarf clown, awards twins Kelly (Mary-Kate Olsen) and Lynn Farmer (Ashley Olsen) a magic wand that turns out to be real. While visiting their truculent Aunt Agatha (Cloris Leachman) with their financially strapped parents (Kelli Fox and Eric McCormack), the girls shudder at the creepy tales of a roving grave digger (Wayne Robson), who fills them in on nasty Agatha's contentious relationship with her twin sister, Sophia (Cloris Leachman). Legend has it that witchy Agatha rubbed a moonstone to capture amiable Sophia's soul in a mirror. Unless Kelly and Lynn can chant the proper incantations at midnight, Sophia will be permanently imprisoned under glass. While trick or treating, Kelly and Lynn persuade two cooperative pals to take their places, unbeknownst to the sisters' mom and dad. En route to Aunt Agatha's mystery mansion, the Farmer girls meet a good-hearted con man, Mr. "N" (Meshach Taylor), and Oscar, who accompany them to Agatha's witches' coven conclave. Disguising themselves as a sorcerer with the power to double Agatha's powers, Mr. "N" and the diminutive party clown trick Agatha out of her magical bauble. Separated during a chase by black arts conventioneers, Lynn and the moonstone escape, but Kelly is nabbed and Mr. "N" is transformed into a crow. Before the twins wised-up parents can rescue them, Kelly and Lynn outwit Agatha with the help of Oscar, the grave digger, and Mr. "N" who, still in crow form, flies off with the powerful gemstone. Breaking the spell, Kelly and Lynn free Sophia, who is reunited with her boyfriend George (Matthew Walker), who had been forced to serve as Agatha's butler. With nasty Agatha safely mirrored up, Mr. "N" is released from feathery bewitchment, and Mom and Dad can save their home with the aid of beneficent Aunt Sophia. As made-for-TV comedies go, this offshoot of the inexplicably popular "Full House" series is mezza-mezza family fare. A somewhat hokey kidflick, it explores twin psychology, the pitfalls of being physically different, and ultimate sibling rivalry. While none of the benign escapades is inspiringly conceived or executed, the plotline is developed adequately. Looming large over this harmlessly diverting project is Leachman, whose brio provides humor even during her most heinous moments, and whose presence enhances the telefilm's watchability. As for the pint-sized stars, they are an acquired taste best left unsampled by nonfans. With a uniquely offbeat comic delivery, they coil their cuteness around dialogue until innocent echoes take on surreal subtext. Everything about these TV properties bespeaks the average and homely, yet they are unmistakably stars and carefully packaged commodities whose appeal incredibly never wanes; it's as if the Baby Snooks child parody had been brought to life and then duplicated. (Violence.)