Aug 12 2009
Race to Witch Mountain by Director Andy Fickman starring Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, and Alexander Ludwig
First there was Escape to Witch Mountain, then there was Return from Witch Mountain, and now there’s Race to Witch Mountain. Will this version of the Witch Mountain alien story survive a Movie Hunger movie review?
Director Andy Fickman takes on updating a classic movie about two aliens connected to Witch Mountain. Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) and Seth (Alexander Ludwig) jump into the cab of Jack Bruno (Dwayne Johnson) on a mission to save earth. You see Sara and Seth must race to Witch Mountain so that they can get their parents scientific data back home. The only problem is that they have a hunter, the FBI, and the mob on their tails.
Rottentomatoes.com give Race to Witch Mountain four stars out of ten. Their comments were that even though they had a star studded cast Race to Witch Mountain just didn’t measure up to the first two classics. I have to disagree and give it more than a four star rating.
Sure it didn’t compare to Escape to Witch Mountain or Return from Witch Mountain but I think Race to Witch Mountain wasn’t meant to compare. It’s a new generation of aliens on a mission and I think Director Andy Fickman ran with that.
Andy Fickman knew that the stunts in the previous Witch Mountain movies would just not do. So the storyline for Race to Witch Mountain had to be more exciting, more dangerous, and with more explosions.
I loved the movie because it was a good storyline and I was glad to see that the two original stars made a cameo in the movie. I’m not ready to give it ten stars out of ten though because there were a few things that just didn’t go over well with me.
The comedy in Race to Witch Mountain just did not measure up to the original movies. Along with the danger and excitement the director should have added more comedy. There are moments in Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain that I remember twenty years later. I don’t know if I’ll be able to say that with this movie.
Dwayne Johnson and AnnaSophia Robb were great in the movie but actor Alexander Ludwig just didn’t have the qualities that I was looking for. It was as if he was more robotic than the Hunter that was after Sara and Seth.
As a whole I would say rent Race to Witch Mountain. It’s a great family movie that I think you would enjoy. Just make sure to pick up a copy of Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain. I think they will become favorites of your family.
