Plot: What’s it about?
Mary-Kate and Ashley will be spending their winter vacation in the tropics, but not in the place they had expected. You see, their class was headed to Hawaii to bask in the sun, but the twins are headed off their parents instead. But since the girls are off to the lush Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, it looks like it will be an awesome vacation after all. Of course, the two decide to make the best of the situation and break out to have as much fun as possible, which means good times and perhaps even romance could be right around the corner. With their ever trendy fashion wardrobes in two, the twins embark on an epic adventure, complete with jet skis, horseback rides down the beach, wild chases, and more, but they also stumble into some trouble. In between playing with dolphins and flirting with the boys, the two discover an illegal antiques ring, where rare and valuable pieces are smuggled, sometimes even stolen ones. Can the twins manage to foil the plans of these crooks, all while getting a tan and still getting the guys of their dreams?
The main claim to fame for twin sisters Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen is from their days on Full House, but they have remained active long since that show was canceled. No, they didn’t jump to a new series or even to movie careers, instead they have starred in numerous direct to video features, aimed at younger audiences. As the girls have gotten older, their target audience has also and these days, it’s the teen crowd that the twins want to bowl over. I admit that I wasn’t too fond of their newest release Holiday in the Sun, but I can see how it would connect with the kind of folks who watch the WB teen aimed programs. It has a hilarious plot that involves romance, an antiques smuggling ring, and of course, those lovable Olsens, who also served as executive producers. As it was filmed at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, it runs like a commercial for the place at times, but the locale allows for some gorgeous photography, so it’s a decent tradeoff. This might be a little light & sugary for most people, but I think younger viewers will enjoy Holiday in the Sun, as it has a lot of action and never seems to slow down much.
Video: How does it look?
Holiday in the Sun is presented in a full frame transfer. The image looks on par with other direct to video releases, which is good, but not up to the usual DVD standards. I saw some print flaws and a little bit of shimmering, but the image is still solid and I doubt anyone will be too put off by these blemishes. The colors look bright, bold, and vivid with no signs of problems, while flesh tones remain natural throughout. I didn’t see any issues with contrast either, as black levels look on the mark and detail is high also. I wish this would have been shot with an anamorphic widescreen transfer in mind, but as far as the material goes, the image is fine.
Audio: How does it sound?
A basic, but adequate 2.0 surround option is used here, which seems to bring across the main elements in good form. This kind of material won’t push your home theater to the limits, but it offers some nice audio potential and this track is more than solid. The music is the main ingredient in the surrounds, but some sound effects move back there also, just not too many and those that do, don’t have a lot of power behind them. The dialogue is never hampered either, as vocals are clear and clean at all times here. This disc also includes subtitles in Spanish and French, should you need those choices.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, a brief behind the scenes featurette, a music video, and a fashion featurette.
