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Even Bette Davis and Christopher Lee played second fiddle to the psychic siblings in "Return From Witch Mountain." But Dwayne Johnson is such a powerful -- and appealing -- personality that he barrels through "Race to Witch Mountain," leaving his child co-stars in the dust.
Add that to the movie's overemphasis on violent action, and "Witch Mountain" is not as much fun as its 1970s predecessors. However, its special effects are out of this world compared with the original Disney adventures.
"Race" is set partially in Las Vegas, where cab driver Jack Bruno (Johnson) is ferrying passengers, including a scientist (Carla Gugino), to a UFO convention and dodging thugs who work for a crime boss. Two super-serious siblings, Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) and Seth (Alexander Ludwig), appear in his taxi with a roll of cash, a vague destination and some menacing SUVs on their trail.
- Starring: Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig
- Rating: PG for sequences of action and violence, frightening and dangerous situations and some thematic elements
- Web site: disney.go.com/
Jack eventually learns the feds and a robotic assassin are after the teens, who are blessed with telepathy, telekinesis and other nifty skills, including changing body density and talking to animals. They're from a planet 3,000 light-years from Earth and hold the fate of the universe in their hands.
"Race," directed by Andy Fickman ("The Game Plan," also with The Rock) and written by Matt Lopez and Mark Bomback, seems heavy-handed for a family film, especially one rated PG. It could use a little of the whimsy from the original "Escape to Witch Mountain," which had the children eluding bullies and baddies and making marionettes dance to harmonica music.
Some of the new movie's best moments are the lighter ones, as when Sara demonstrates how to move objects with her mind and says Earthlings could do that, if they harnessed more brain power. "I don't do it because it's kind of creepy," Jack quips.
"Witch Mountain" delivers nonstop action, but Ludwig and the main villain (Ciaran Hinds as the government's chief UFO investigator) are a shade too intense. Catastrophic accidents are staged, characters held captive and gunfire exchanged, but the outcome is typically mild.
Keep an eye out for the stars of the original, Kim Richards and Iake Eissinmann (once credited as Ike Eisenmann). She's a waitress at Ray's Tavern in Stony Creek, and he is a sheriff. A Winnebago reminiscent of the one Eddie Albert drives in the original pops up, too.
If "Witch Mountain" casts a spell over the audience, I wouldn't be surprised to see a sequel or an amusement park ride. Or both.
