The Story So Far...
This is the 1998 remake of the 1961 Hayley Mills family classic, about twin girls who had never met because of their parents' early divorce. When they find out about each other at summer camp, they decide to switch places to meet their other parent, and then attempt to get their folks back together.

DVDTalk has two reviews of the original film, by Aaron Beierle and DVD Savant. Disney released a barebones edition of the Lohan-led remake in March, 1999.

The Movie
It's hard to comprehend how much Lohan matured from her first film, The Parent Trap, to her star-making turn in Mean Girls. But then, through a series of choices, she only made four films in six years, giving her plenty of time to mature. Despite the lapse in time, it's still hard to settle the sexpot image built around her recently with the innocent child she is in this movie. Interestingly, she's probably never given a performance as good as she did before she left her innocence behind.

In a part made possible only by advanced technology and a precocious young talent, Lohan performs the difficult task of portraying Hallie and Annie, two identical characters who are complete opposites in terms of personality. That she pulls it off to the extent that she does proves that with the right material, the correct choices and time away from her family, there just might be a very good actress in that very photogenic young girl.

While she carries the show, she has a lot of help, starting with her film parents, the always terrific Natasha Richardson (Nell) and Dennis Quaid (In Good Company.) Though the comedy set-up puts all the focus on Lohan, once that's out of the way, Richardson and Quaid have to pick up the ball to finish out the romantic-comedy side of the film. In lesser hands, this might feel entirely uneven, but with these two in front of the camera and Nancy Meyers (Father of the Bride) at the helm, the balance is maintained. Quaid is so perfect as the rough-edged romantic lead that it's frustrating to understand why he isn't a bigger star.

The leads are obviously key to this personality-driven story, but the supporting stars do everything they can to steal the show. As Richardson and Quaid's respective house-help, Simon Kunz and Lisa Ann Walter are terrific, adding some of the screwball comedy sensibility that flavored the original film. Walter in particular is great as the motherly nanny that any kid would want.

Playing an extremely thankless role to the hilt is Elaine Hendrix (Romy and Michele's High School Reunion), Quaid's fiancee Meredith, who stands in the way of Hallie and Annie's dreams. This is the kind of bad-guy role that a good actor can ride to a memorable performance, and Hendrix seems to savor every sneering line reading, making her character evil enough that it's that much more fun to root against her.

The performances are great in this film, and the story is just fun, but it's obviously the technique that makes it all work, as the dual role Lohan plays is pulled off seamlessly, despite some rather intricate shots of her two parts. Anyone who didn't know it, would be hard-pressed to point out a single shot that gives away the trick. It's simply one of those rare visual-effects films that doesn't look like it has a single visual effect.

The DVD
A one-disc special edition, this DVD comes home in the standard white Disney keepcase, with a stylish silver-foil-stamped cover and a chapter-stop insert. The disc features animated anamorphic widescreen menus, with footage from the film, that hold options to play the film, view scene selections, check out bonus features and set up languages and subtitles. The chapter menus have still previews and titles for each scene, while language options include English and French Dolby 5.1 soundtracks and English captioning and French subtitles.

The Quality
After the original DVD's letterboxed presentation, this anamorphic widescreen transfer is a big improvement. But the widescreen enhancement isn't the only good thing about the video on this DVD. The image is remarkably sharp and the color is brilliant, with excellent fine detail to boot. There's not a spot of dirt or damage to be found, and digital artifacts aren't obvious either. This movie isn't likely to look any better until HD-DVD. The only problem, if there is one, is the amount of red in the skin tones, but it's not a major concern.

The audio track is once again a Dolby 5.1 track that, while not exactly a reference-quality delivery, is a very good example of a well-mixed family comedy. The surrounds are almost exclusively filled with bits of the score, making the Alan Silvestri compositions bolder and more engaging. Like the video transfer, there's really nothing to complain about here.

The Extras
The Parent Trap Special Double Trouble Edition is a mix of old and new, as the current cover-girl Lohan is nowhere to be seen, with her 1998 edition filling in on the extras. The biggest extra is completely Lohan-free though, as director Nancy Meyers, producer and co-writer Charles Shyer and director of photography Dean Cundey share the mic for a feature-length audio commentary. Truthfully, I can't be certain they were even in the same room, as there's a minimum of interaction, but there's plenty of good behind-the-scenes info and tidbits shared. Meyers is a very easy-going commentator, and she's very prepared to enjoyably fill the spaces in the film's lengthy run-time, with some help from her filmaking friends.

One deleted scene is included on this disc, with an optional commentary track by Meyers and Shyer. It's a short scene that wouldn't have added much to the film, but it's worth a look anyway, especially with Meyers and Shyer sharing their thoughts over it.

Three short featurettes round out the package, each with a distinct focus. "Updating a Classic" allows those involved in the remake to heap praise on the original, while showing the filmmaking process that went on during this production. "How Hallie Became Annie" is a look at the acting and technology that went into turning Lohan into two separate characters, and "Accent on Fun" demonstrates what a dialogue coach does. Though fluffy and made up partially of old interviews, these clips are entertaining and interesting enough to hold up to at least one viewing (which is more than the usual family film extra gets.)

The Bottom Line
It's rarely a good idea to remake a classic, especially one that was a popular family film. But by sticking to the original idea, paying homage to the classic in subtle, yet effective ways and populating the movie with talented actors under the guidance of a steady hand, the creators of this new Trap avoided one of their own and made a fun family film that doesn't bore while not insulting viewers either, despite the many over-the-top coincidences. The DVD presentation is much improved over the original generic release, but the absence of the now-teen Lohan is a slight disappointment. Fans of the film should pick this edition up without a care, and owners of the original can upgrade their disc now.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.