Just as Return From Witch Mountain lost a little of the magic that made the original Escape to Witch Mountain so special, the series continues to atrophy with the third entry in the conceptual story with Race to Witch Mountain. Escape to Witch Mountain shrouded its story in mystery by keeping the children’s history concealed from both the antagonists, the audience and the children themselves. The film as a whole was a testament to discovering identity, a feat which Return From Witch Mountain couldn’t quite replicate as it became nothing but a film to demonstrate how good Disney had become at its cable-based stunt work. So what benchmark does that leave for Disney to score with Race to Witch Mountain?
Whatever it is, Disney definitely doesn’t quite achieve it.
Jack Bruno (Dwayne Johnson) drives a taxi cab in Las Vegas and, in doing so, meets a lot of interesting people. Jack’s life only gets more interesting with the UFO convention in town drawing geeks in Stormtrooper costumes and UFO experts like Dr. Alex Friedman (Carla Gugino) to the neon strip – and a pair of peculiar children: Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) and Seth (Alexander Ludwig). With a wad of cash they commission Jack to drive them into the desert to an old shanty long deserted by humanity – or so they thought. While snooping about the house they encounter a Power Ranger look-alike assassin whose only goal seems to be the execution of the duo. Also hot on their heels are government agents Henry Burke (Ciaran Hinds), Matheson (Tom Everett Scott) and rookie Pope (Chris Marquette). We learn that the twins’ trip to Earth was an effort to spare Earth’s inhabitants by retrieving an ozone saving technology that would allow their species to repair the damage to their planet after years of ecological neglect (realllly subtle message Disney). But wait, if these aliens have the technology to build interstellar spacecraft and intergalactic transponders, why are they coming to us for a study on patching up an ozone layer? Whatever.
The three parties race across the Nevada landscape with each trying to outsmart the next. Along the way, because apparently it’s cuter, Jack and company pick up a stray dog whose mind the children can read. This ability is just one of the many plot-convenient things they can do; but to be fair, the original Witch Mountain twins could do similar things, so for the sake of continuity we won’t hold it against them.
Dwayne Johnson always amuses me, no matter what his role. He’s got an uncanny sense of comedic timing for a guy whom, if Hollywood were to cast him by appearances alone, would play nothing by strongmen and goons. Luckily, he’s been allowed to prove his comedic mettle, and it shines on in Race to Witch Mountain. At the opposite end of the spectrum we have AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig whom do little in the way of acting at any point in the movie and really just keep a sedated look plastered across their faces at all times. Carla Gugino comes into the game early on, but isn’t really brought into the story until the final 35 minutes – and by that point it’s more running about than it is storytelling. Ciaran Hinds may be good at playing the menacing opposition, but he needs to start branching out – this is getting tired. Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards, the original Witch Mountain kids, make cameos as a helpful sheriff and a waitress, respectively.
What may be most disconcerting for the Witch Mountain fans is the shifting of Witch Mountain from a place of ultimate refuge to one of antagonism. In the original two films salvation was found at Witch Mountain in the first and then was sent from Witch Mountain in the second. So the titular locations transition to a fortified enemy base comes as an odd wrinkle in proceedings: the Mecca of the Witch Mountain universe became the Hades from which they had to pull their incarcerated ship.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
Prepare to be underwhelmed, folks. There’s but one extra feature besides the DVD and digital copy of the film included with the Blu-ray purchase, and it involves director Andy Fickman going through the movie and pointing out all of the small little references made to the past two Witch Mountain movies (as well as a few lesser known Disney flicks). It’s actually pretty interesting if you’ve ever seen the other two as it’s very obvious the movie was a love letter to the original films, flaws and all.
"Race to Witch Mountain" is on sale August 4, 2009 and is rated PG. Children & Family, Sci-Fi. Directed by Andy Fickman. Starring Alexander Ludwig, AnnaSophia Robb, Carla Gugino, Christopher Marquette, Ciaran Hinds, Dwayne Johnson, Tom Everett Scott.
