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By Martha Brockenbrough
MSN Cinemama
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They had me at "Witch Mountain."
They had me with those two delicious words in 1975, when the original Disney movie "Escape to Witch Mountain" came out, followed a few years later by a sequel, "Return From Witch Mountain."
They still have me with "Race to Witch Mountain," starring Dwayne Johnson and his out-of-this-world white teeth.
It's called a "reimagined" version of the '70s movie, which is license to change the story and fill it with better special effects and a Predator-style monster. It lives up to its billing.
"Race to Witch Mountain" is a smartly crafted, action-packed adventure for kids who aren't scared by big explosions and Terminator-style aliens. It even manages a few moments of wit that will amuse parents and sci-fi nerds of all ages.
It tells the story of Jack Bruno (Johnson), who has traded in being a mob
chauffeur for the noble and honest life of cab driving in Las Vegas, where it's
not unusual for him to, say, ferry a pair of Stormtroopers to an alien
convention. A fare's a fare, whether she's the gorgeous scientist Dr. Alex
Friedman (Carla Gugino) or the strange pair of blond kids
who look like they're on their way to a Sprockets reunion.
Read more reviews of "Race to Witch
Mountain"
Also: What's In Your DVD Player, Dwayne
Johnson?
Talking like a pair of kids who've spent too long studying for their PSATs, the blonds are actually aliens. They ask the cabbie to drive them hundreds of miles through the desert to a mysterious location, and because they are carrying a burrito-sized brick of cash, he agrees.
Soon, though, a fleet of black cars is in hot pursuit. Jack thinks it's the mobsters wanting to bring him back to the fold. Really, though, it's a bunch of 1950s-style G-men bent on capturing those aliens and probing the heck out of them.
From there, the movie is one long, exciting chase that lives up to the promise of the title. People who are rigid about their remakes probably won't love the changes, but it's going to be a hit with kids who are new to the story and who love everything outer space.
It's rated PG because of the nonstop action, some of which is fairly violent. But it's not bloody, and the language is clean, so for families in search of an adrenaline hit, this movie's stellar.
What's in It for Kids
In pacing and aesthetics, "Race to Witch Mountain" is very much like a Disney ride. The action is relentless if wholesome, and there's even an underground grotto with improbable plants that was just a few dozen animatronic parrots short of being the Tiki Room.
Really, though, this movie is all about the aliens, a brother and sister named Seth and Sara, played by Alexander Ludwig ("The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising") and AnnaSophia Robb ("Bridge to Terabithia"). Both are excellent. Ludwig in particular really gives off a creepy alien vibe, with his long limbs, unblinking eyes and oddly cocked head.
Even better, though, are their alien powers. Sara can move objects with her mind, and she can read the thoughts of other people (and dogs). Seth can manipulate the molecules in his body, so he can either walk through walls or be one.
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