I'm sure I'm not the only one who's finished a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movie only to wonder, what the heck just happened? Not because I don't actually understand the movie (well, at least, that's not usually why I'm asking myself that), but because I'm just so taken back by how wacky the plots of these movies actually are. Now, I'm not talking about those films from back in the '90s where the Olsen twins had sleepovers or solved mysteries — those were always meant to be a little over-the-top, just kids being kids. No, I'm focused on the ones where they seemed to be planted in reality, going to grandma's place, or off to Paris to see their grandpa, or on a school trip to London. Somehow, despite these movies starting off rather believable, the twins always got involved in some crazy caper or shenanigan that just seemed hard to believe.
But, how hard to believe? That's what this list is all about, figuring out just how unbelievable the movies of the Olsen twins are. To make it more interesting, the movies have been ranked from the least believable to the most. Let's just say, you may be surprised by how ridiculous even the most believable Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movies is. But, not that surprised.
14. Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993)
Being that this is a Halloween movie, it's fair to say it's not the most believable. Well — unless you believe a woman can have her life ruined by a moonstone and an evil twin sister, who has trapped her in a mirror hidden in the attic. In that case, this one may speak to you.
13. Our Lips Are Sealed (2000)
For starters, this direct-to-video movie features the twins needing to join the Witness Protection Program after they see a museum robbery. But, because Maddie and Abby Parker just can't seem to keep their mouths shut, they end up having to move to Australia as a last resort. While the two are worried about trying to fit in Down Under, they're also worried about being caught by two henchman who know they know about the diamond heist. Safe to say, this probably hasn't happened to you, or me, or anyone we know — which is why it lands pretty high on this list for just being a bit too out there.
12. Holiday In The Sun (2001)
"Stolen antiquities." Those two words say a whole lot about this film, that has sisters Madison and Alex Stewart going on vacation in the Bahamas with their family, only to get caught up in a smuggling ring of... what, you ask? Oh yeah, stolen antiquities. There's a love story here, and Megan Fox plays a very snotty vacationer — but what puts it over the edge is those antiquities.
11. When In Rome (2002)
Twins Leila and Charli are off to Roma, Roma, Roma to intern for a swanky fashion company. Until, that is, they up and get fired, despite being model workers. The two then work on figuring out what it is that's really going on at the company. Yeah, this soon becomes a mystery, but the twins are no longer wearing their tiny trench coats like they did as kids — they're in some high fashion duds. While the twist at the end of this film is almost too convoluted to believe, it's definitely good for a laugh.
10. New York Minute (2004)
This teen comedy features the 17-year-old twins heading to New York City for very different reasons. Jane (Ashley Olsen) is there to deliver a speech that could get her into college, while Roxy (Mary-Kate Olsen) is trying to sneak onto a Simple Plan music video shoot. (It was 2004, this was very cool at the time.) None of this is that crazy, until Roxy accidentally ends up with her chip in her bag that gets her mixed up in a black market deal, which starts a chain reaction. Soon, they're running away from the man who wants the chip, and a truancy officer looking to bring Roxy back to school for having too many absences. The shenanigans continue with a stolen dog, and an Avril Lavigne spoken word poem. When all is said and done, this one is pretty hard to believe.
9. To Grandmother's House We Go (1992)
This film begins with a premise that isn't so farfetched: two bratty sisters hear their single mom saying she needs a break, so they decide to run away to their grandma's. But, things go off the rails once the girls get kidnapped, forcing their mom and a local delivery guy to pawn off goods for ransom money, which ultimately gets them arrested. What may be even harder to believe is this all ends with a Christmas miracle.
8. The Challenge (2003)
For their last direct to video movie, the Olsen twins put their own twist on The Parent Trap... meets Survivor. Shane and Elizabeth Dalton both sign up for a TV survival show, and when the producers realize they're estranged, they put them on the same team. Oh, you know where this is going. But, stick around to the end, when some of Mary-Kate and Ashley's past onscreen boyfriends show up to fight over them. Points, for going meta.
7. It Takes Two (1995)
Amanda Lemmon and Alyssa Callaway are not related at all, but they happen to look exactly alike. Yes, this is another Parent Trap-style story. The girls even end up teaming up to keep Alyssa's dad from marrying the wrong woman, pushing him towards their camp counselor (Kirstie Alley). To add a little more ridiculousness to this whole thing, Amanda is also a foster kid who's looking to get adopted in the end. Can you guess who ends up doing just that?
6. How The West Was Fun (1994)
Jessica and Suzy Martin are having mysterious dreams about a cowboy who keeps telling them this town isn't big enough for the three of them. But, only after getting a letter from their late mom's godmother inviting them to her ranch do things start to make more sense: Sure, two little kids having to save the failing ranch isn't something you hear about everyday, but in the world of Mary Kate and Ashley, this is one of the more realistic movie they've ever made.
5. Passport To Paris (1999)
The twins travels to France to stay with their estranged U.S. ambassador grandpa and end up meeting a fun fashion model who takes them around. (Cue, fashion montages.) They also meet two French boys who take them around the city and eventually get them arrested. All this seems like teen stuff, until the girls challenge the French Foreign Minister to help pass their gramps' clean water bill. Not necessarily what most of us would do on a trip to Paris, but for the twins, this isn't so farfetched.
4. Winning London (2001)
The twins are taking part in a Model United Nations competition in England, but both for very different reasons. Chloe Lawrence (Mary-Kate) is there to win and win only, while her sister Riley (Ashley) is just there to get to know a boy. Chloe, though, gets her own love interest: the son of a British nobleman. That, honestly, is the most farfetched thing about this movie.
3. Billboard Dad (1998)
The title says it all. Twins Emily and Tess Tyler are looking to help their widower dad find a date, so they put him on a billboard. And hey, no surprise, it works — their dad is a hunkasaurus, after all. But, this is a Mary-Kate & Ashley movie after all, which means it could never be as simple as that. This one also has the sisters scheming against their dad's evil business manager, but unlike some of their other shenanigans, this one seems like real kid stuff.
2. Getting There (2002)
In this one, the twins go on a road trip to Utah for the Salt Lake City Olympics. But, their adventure soon turns into a misadventure after their car is stolen. The craziest thing about this one though is that the girls just turned 16, and they already have a Ford Mustang. That's a little hard to believe.
1. Switching Goals (1999)
This television movie has the two switching roles and, yes, switching goals. You know, the usual identical twin schtick. But, as an added bonus this soccer comedy has sisters Sam and Emma Stanton learning to be themselves while also teaching their dad winning isn't everything. There's nothing too crazy about that, but it is certainly very sweet.
If there's one thing Mary-Kate and Ashley have taught us after all these years and movies, it's that no matter how unbelievable their movies are, we're always happy to see these twins together.
