“Race to Witch Mountain”

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



OK. It is silly, but it is a children’s movie. To be honest, it is a throwback to the live action Disney films of the 1970s. It is a bit odd to imagine a children’s movie that isn’t Pixarish, but there you have it. What is old is new.

“Race to Witch Mountain” is a re-imagined version of the “Witch Mountain” series based on a children’s book by Alexander Key. The book has inspired at least two movies and two TV shows. To further my education and to provide my readers with sufficient background information, I watched “Escape to Witch Mountain” starring adults Eddie Albert, Ray Milland and Donald Pleasance. It was so amateurish, that I gained a greater appreciation of this sleeker version.

In this new version we have this fellow named Dwayne Johnson, formally know as “The Rock.” He is trying to break out of his “The Rock” roles and make his way in family entertainment. Well, good for him. He is very likable indeed: tough on the outside and all soft and cuddly on the inside.

In case you have forgotten, “Witch Mountain” movies are about two children (Seth and Sara in this remake, played by Alexander Ludwig and AnnaSophia Robb) and, as you may infer, one boy and one girl who are actually aliens from another planet. And, of course they have special powers. Their spaceship has crashed on Earth. They originally came here to save their planet … which is dying. While on Earth, they discovered a way to save their planet but the military (on their home planet) wants to simply conquer Earth and colonize that. If they can get back home, they can convince their government to take this Al Gore method to reverse the planet dying route. Unfortunately, the military (on their planet) has sent a killing machine to stop them.

They landed near Las Vegas — a place that strongly resembles another planet. They pop into a cab, which is driven by Jack Bruno (Johnson) who happens to be a former driver for some Vegas crime boss. He is sort of running away from the gangster’s stooges who want him to come back to work.

The American military is also after the alien children. We know who they are because they dress in black suits and have big sunglasses. They are as bad as the alien bad guys.

Obviously this is a chase movie with lots of explosions and narrow escapes. And not too few wisecracks from “The Rock,” I mean Dwayne Johnson. He recruits an expert (Carla Gugino) in extraterrestrials who happens to be in town for a convention for UFO weirdos. She recruits an odd-ball conspiracist played by Garry Marshall. Yes, that Garry Marshall of “Happy Days.” I told you it was silly. However, I loved his character. God Bless Garry Marshall — he is a terrible actor.

For you fans of “Escape to Witch Mountain” (1975) and “Return from Witch Mountain” (the sequel made in 1978), the two former child actors make cameo appearances in the diner scene.

“Race to Witch Mountain” is an innocent, if unsophisticated, children’s film. The likeability of Johnson and the crashes and bangs in just about every scene makes the film fairly tolerable. I think kids, who are not too demanding of their cinematic arts, will probably consider themselves entertained.

Not everything in the old days was better. Forget the nostalgia of “The Wonderful World of Disney.” This latest version is as solid as “The Rock.” Sorry, Dwayne, you will always be “The Rock” to me.

“Race to Witch Mountain” gets two and a half bow ties out of five.