Directed by Andy Fickman
Starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexander Ludwig, AnnaSophia Robb
“Don’t go down the pimped out refrigerator, Jack.”
Dwayne Johnson as Jack Bruno
This is the type of film that I wouldn’t go see in the theater. Who knows, maybe I miss some good films this way. So, I get to see if I missed anything when the DVD’s come out. Race to Witch Mountain: Blu Ray, a “reimagining” of the original 1975 Disney films Escape to Witch Mountain and the 1978 film Return to Witch Mountain, was recently released from Walt Disney.
The Movie
Jack Bruno (Dwayne Johnson) is a charismatic Las Vegas cab driver, scratching out a living taking tourists up and down the strip. At the end of the day, he calls a seedy motel room home, but it is better than his previous job: a driver for some unsavory thugs. But, this is in his past, although the thugs still come sniffing around to intimidate him and put pressure on him to return to his prior “career”.
He has been so busy just scraping out a living he hasn’t really paid attention to all the news reports about spaceships and such. It isn’t until two kids (Alexander Ludwig and AnnaSophia Robb) turn up in his cab, throwing at him tons of cash and screaming “drive that way” that the headlines suddenly pop right in to his life.
He soon learns about government cover-ups, spaceship crashes and also comes to realize that the kids that appeared in his cab aren’t your normal rug rats: Sara can move things with her mind and Seth can move through solid walls.
Yep, they are aliens. Now what is Jack going to do?
It isn’t long before he is helping Seth and Sara to save the world from destruction. Did I mention that they are being pursued by an alien assassin and a super secret government agency?
Race To Witch Mountain isn’t a sci fi action film made for adults, this one is made solidly made for the kids. I am not saying that if you find yourself in front of this at a family gathering or in your own living room with your own kidlets, you might not find something here to enjoy. This film is clean family entertainment and there is a time and a place for that in this world.
Johnson, Robb and Ludwig all do fine in their roles. Gugino (Sin City, Son In Law) plays a scientist mixed up in the whole affair and while she isn’t near as spicy as she was in Sin City, she’s fine here, if you are fan of hers.
So, should I have paid top dollar to see this film in the theater? Well, the honest answer for me is no. But, if you have a family and need a flick to add to the Netflix queue to watch with pizza and soda Saturday night, you could do worse.
Just so we are clear, this isn’t Pixar quality. So, this doesn’t have to take up permanent space on the shelf. But, if you have kids of your own or you find yourself babysitting, this film will probably do the trick until you can put the rugrats to bed. The rest of you not in the above mentioned situations (which includes me) can take a pass.
6/10
The Video
Presented in anamorphic widescreen, the film is presented in 1080p. The transfer is first rate and wonderfully presented in the Blu Ray format. The overall image is highly detailed and vibrant. The black levels left a bit to be desired in certain dark sections.
7/10
The Audio
Presented in DTS-HD 5.1 Audio, the film has never sounded better. The dialogue is crystal clear and well mixed. The explosions and sound effects are mixed quite well in this release. There was nice usage of all speakers.
7/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
Presented in a standard amaray Blu Ray case, the artwork suits the film presented well. Along with the Blu Ray of the film, there is an addition digital copy of the film included.
A few bonus features await your discovery on this release. First up, Which Mountain? Is your standard making of featurette.
Also included is a blooper reel and deleted scenes are included.
4/10
Overall (Not an Average) 6/10
The Review
The Film 6/10
The Video 7/10
The Audio 7/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 4/10
Overall (Not an Average) 6/10