Race to Witch Mountain

Hey, don't believe the downers trashing this movie. It's fun. Non-action stop from beginning to the end. Dwayne Johnson, who finally shed his former wrestling nom de lutre, is a much better actor than people are willing to concede. He has a mobile face and uses his big body well with a lot more expression and ability than some of the other shoot'em up and knock-about action heroes. This film, a remake of the old Disney classics with a CGI uptake and story rewrite, is entertaining, engaging and full of witty little pieces for the watchful viewer. When the alien bad guy gets knocked for a loop and everyone ducks for cover and the 2 UFO-Trekkie-types rejoice, (Wow. Best convention ever!) and the one I liked best, one of the nerd bad guys named Analyst D. Pleasance, for the veteran character actor, Don Pleasance who played the bad guy in the Disney originals. Also, Irish actor, Ciaran Hinds makes a superb Man in Black Suit bureaucrat villain and lovable Cheech Marin as the sleepy mechanic gets his licks in too, albeit in a bit part. The beautiful Carla Gugino comes across as the UFO seeking academic and Director Garry Marshall as the nut case UFOligist makes for good comic relief. The two kids add the mixture with AnnaSophia Robb reminding me of one of my granddaughters and Alexander Ludwigs serious facial expression adding to the fun. I found this film fun from the get-go and recommend it highly.

I think its nice that Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann have cameos in the film as a waitress and sheriff, they were the kids in the 1975 original. I remember my mother taking me to see it when I was seven. This is an all right film but the original was so much better. Dwayne Johnson (formally known as the Rock)takes over Eddie Albert's part as the earthman who befriends the two young aliens, the difference is that Eddie Albert could act a lot better! One thing I have to say about this film is that its certainly not boring! I would have loved to have seen the special effects budget. It has enough explosions and car chases for three films.

I have nothing against remakes, and I had wanted to see Race to Witch Mountain for some time now. I think it is a decent movie, I do remember the original movie with fondness and feel it is a superior movie, however compared to other remakes I've seen like Psycho, Stepford Wives and Wicker Man Race to Witch Mountain is not a bad movie. It looks great visually, whether it is in the effects, the scenery, the cinematography or lighting. The soundtrack has some pleasing and memorable themes, direction is solid and the script while not award-worthy is good. The cast are fine, Dwayne Johnson carries the movie and he has so much charisma that it is a joy to watch him. AnnaSophia Robb once again proves herself a promising actress, and Ciaron Hinds is a fun villain. Only Carla Gugino disappoints, she's beautiful but her performance and character are dull and she and Johnson have no chemistry. The characters are on the stereotypical side particularly those of Gugino and Hinds, the pace is rather jerky in places and the story while having an appreciative nostalgia as well as a darkness the original didn't have I feel has a number of predictable spots. All in all, a decent if unexceptional family film. 6/10 Bethany Cox

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.

If aliens exist, and if they have access to the films made from Earth, they would likely make a mental note to remind themselves that should they visit our planet on terms other than a hostile takeover or annihilation, to avoid landing in the USA at all costs. Hollywood has enough dough to continuously churn out effects laden science-fiction movies, and most of them are big budgeted action fests like Independence Day and Men In Black, which don't exactly paint a good picture of the extra-terrestrials. Aliens who have more benign intent, would be frightened by how trigger happy and violence prone the US is toward illegal aliens, even if popular culture meant the landing zone for extra terrestrials is the USA and not other larger countries.

Race to Witch Mountain being Disney fare means the toning down of practically everything to ensure that it is safe for the entire family to experience together. Dwayne Johnson seems right at home in family friendly flicks like The Game Plan (also directed by Andy Fickman), and I guess his action days on screen will be few and far between, especially when he gets to flaunt his dramatic and comedic flair. Woe is the fan boy like me who have grown up with The Rock, but there's no more people's eyebrow, and we should start to get used to seeing our idol in a different light on celluloid.

Johnson plays a Las Vegas cab driver Jack Bruno who has a colourful past that he tries to bury, in order to earn an honest living to buy his dream Mustang featured in the Steve McQueen movie Bullit. In a confluence of the stars he picks up a scientist who specializes in extra terrestrials, before chancing onto two of them when they boarded his cab without his knowledge. The brother and ssister aliens – Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) and Seth (Alenxander Ludwig) – are here on a noble mission, and are in hot pursuit by the shady government agents led by Henry Burke (Ciaran Hinds) as well as something like a Terminator from many light years away.

This naturally gives rise to your standard set action sequences where we get to see the alien twins exercise their rather innocent demeanour ("they're only kids!") to their advantage, behind which hides the immense powers they possess such as Telepathy and Density manipulation, which I thought was a very cool power to have. Imagine being able to pass through walls, yet having tremendous strength in the form of a road block, literally. AnnaSophia Robb whom I felt did a fantastic job in The Bridge to Terabithia, stars as the female child, and because of her character's ability, she brings forth a more trusting, and empathetic character, in direct contrast to the other alien Seth (The Seeker from The Dark is Rising is all grown up now), who's more direct, commanding, aloof and untrusting of humans in general, no doubt their initial experience was in having their space ship confiscated to Witch Mountain, and being chased for the conduct of experiments.

Carla Gugino, last seen as the aged Silk Spectre in Watchmen, got active only in the last third of the show, which was somewhat of a pity because she shared great chemistry with the rest of the cast, and got involved quite late into the thick of things. But of course if there's any consolation, like how the bits during the end credits would suggest, and depending on the box office results, there might be room for more in a sequel, if it comes.

There are references galore in the film given that there's a science-fiction convention event featured in the movie, and you can't help but also think about the potential for theme park rides with the yellow cab being pursued and pretty banged up. In fact I was wondering each time the cab got put through an action sequence, that it would make for a great 4D ride in Disneyland. You can't help it because it was quite in your face, with the sequences designed in that manner, deliberately or otherwise.

Despite some glaring plot loopholes, Race to Witch Mountain has all the ingredients for a great family outing. The story doesn't try to be more intellectual than it can handle, and doesn't let the special effects run wild and take over everything else. For being such a sentimental fool, the ending also got some brownie points from me, as it's tough not to shed a tear or two given the trials and tribulations from which a solid bond is formed amongst all the characters. Recommended for a family outing, but don't go expecting something out of this world (pun not intended), as everything's pretty formula.