Race to Witch Mountain (2009)

A Las Vegas cabbie enlists the help of a UFO expert to protect two siblings with paranormal powers from the clutches of an organization that wants to use the kids for their nefarious plans.

Director:

Andy Fickman

Writers:

Matt Lopez (screenplay), Mark Bomback (screenplay),

Stars:

Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dwayne Johnson	...	Jack Bruno
AnnaSophia Robb	...	Sara
Alexander Ludwig	...	Seth
Carla Gugino	...	Dr. Alex Friedman
Ciarán Hinds	...	Burke
Tom Everett Scott	...	Matheson
Chris Marquette	...	Pope
Billy Brown	...	Carson
Garry Marshall	...	Dr. Donald Harlan
Kim Richards	...	Tina
Ike Eisenmann	...	Sheriff Antony
Tom Woodruff Jr.	...	Siphon
John Duff	...	Frank
Bob Koherr	...	Marty
Kevin Christy	...	Matt

Storyline

In Las Vegas, the regenerated ex-con Jack Bruno works as taxi driver. During an UFO Convention at Planet Hollywood, the skeptical Jack picks up Dr. Alex Friedman, who will present a scientific lecture in the event. Then he is pressed by two henchmen of his former boss, the criminal Wolff, that wants to talk to him, but Jack does not want to return to the crime life. Jack fights and gets rid of them; out of the blue, he finds two teenagers on the backseat of his cab. They tell that they are siblings, Sara and Seth, and they need to travel to a location outside Las Vegas in the middle of nowhere. Meanwhile the government finds a spacecraft that crashed nearby Las Vegas and is chasing the two aliens; after the investigation of the men of Major Henry Burke, they discover that the two siblings are the aliens. Jack Bruno, Sara and Seth are chased by Henry Burke's team and by the "Syphon", a killer from outer space that has been sent to kill them by the military of their planet that want to ...

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Plot Keywords:

spacecraft | alien | ufo | convention | mountain | 

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Taglines:

The Race Is On

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for sequences of action and violence, frightening and dangerous situations, and some thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Disney Official site [jp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 March 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Witch Mountain

Filming Locations:

Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino - 3667 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$65,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£581,250 (UK) (10 April 2009)

Gross:

£2,545,316 (UK) (24 July 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Gunn Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Andy Fickman:  At the Alien Expo, Jack (Dwayne Johnson) pushes him out of the way looking for the kids.

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Goofs

When Jack and the kids sit down at the table in the restaurant the ketchup bottle is empty. but as they are talking the ketchup bottle is partly full, and has ketchup up the sides and top.

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Quotes

Jack Bruno: You do know how to fly this thing, right?
Seth: How did you think we got here?
Jack Bruno: Well, you crashed, remember?

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Crazy Credits

During the credits Jack & Alex are seen promoting a book they collaborated on concerning their past experience's (with Harlan and his help amongst the crowd). Outside they climb into '68 Mustang, only to notice the transmitter going off, indicating a reunion with Seth & Sara.

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Connections

Referenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Duplicity/Knowing/I Love You, Man (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Breakers"
Written by Randy Dunham and Corri English
Produced by Jamie Houston
Performed by Brokedown Cadillac

User Reviews

Alright, but not a totally great Disney film.

I liked the idea, that this is not a remake of the Disney classic Escape to Witch Mountain(1975), it's more of a rebooted version. Some remakes try to be carbon copies of the original, like Pyscho(1998), and The Bad News Bears(2005). This films premise is sort of the same but others ways different.

The story begins in Las Vegas, where Jack Bruno(Dwayne Johnson) is a cab driver, and is really not a people person. But one day things change, when two siblings named Seth(Alexander Ludwig) and Sara(Annasophia Robb) enter his cab ask him to drive to a certain location, and they give him large sums of money. Jack is hesitant, but does it anyway. But then things are not so simply, when the government starts chasing them. Turns out these kids are aliens with special powers, that need to get to a certain location called Witch Mountain in hopes to prevent an alien invasion that could destroy earth. And a famed scientist(Carla Gugino) comes along for the ride.

Now the moments between Dwayne and the kids are memorable. But the rest of the film kind of falls on itself. The action and effects where alright but nothing you'd call spectacular. Carla Gugino I felt by watching that she was written in at the last minute,cause they wanted a beautiful actress for Dwayne play off of, but Dwayne and Carla have no chemistry. And she does not look like she is having any fun doing this, she is just in it to cash a paycheck. And so was the rest of the cast, besides Dwayne and the kids. I didn't know when too laugh at times, I mean there times it was funny, other I couldn't tell at times if they where trying to be funny or serious for some scenes.