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Race to Witch Mountain
(2009)
The Race Is On
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Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig, Ted Hartley
Director: Andy Fickman
Writer: Matt Lopez
Language: English
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Duration: 98
Rated: PG

Loosely based on Alexander Key's novel Escape to Witch Mountain, Race to Witch Mountain is not so much a remake of the 1975 film Escape to Witch Mountain as an entirely new film based on some key plot points from the former film. When two innocent-looking teens appear in Jack Bruno's (Dwayne Johnson) cab and tell him that "we must travel in that direction," Jack thinks it's a bit strange, but shrugs it off and starts driving. Soon they're being followed and chased off the road, but is it Jack's past catching up with him or something much larger? Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) and Seth (Alexander Ludwig) reluctantly confess that they are aliens from another planet, but Jack refuses to accept their statement until Sara starts moving things with her mind and Seth slips through the body of the car and deflects the SUV that's pursuing them. Sara and Seth tell Jack that they must recover their crashed spaceship in order to save earth from being taken over by aliens, so Jack takes them to see Dr. Alex Friedman (Carla Gugino); a scientist who he met by chance and who believes in the possible existence of extra-terrestrials. While the four are initially wary of one another, Dr. Friedman provides some valuable contacts and they begin trusting one another out of sheer necessity. Soon they're battling secret government agencies, heavily armed personnel, and even a cybernetic Siphon (that looks a lot like a Cylon from Battlestar Galactica) in a desperate attempt to gain access to the heavily fortified Witch Mountain and the crashed spacecraft. Action-packed car chases dominate the film (a bit excessively, in this reviewer's opinion), but the acting and chemistry between actors is good as is the suspense and intrigue. Rated PG due to sequences of action and violence, frightening and dangerous situations, and some thematic elements. (Ages 9 and older) --Tami Horiuchi


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Stills from Race to Witch Mountain (click for larger image)


Dwayne JohnsonJack Bruno
Carla GuginoDr. Alex Friedman
AnnaSophia RobbSara
Alexander LudwigSeth
CiarĂ¡n HindsHenry Burke
Ted HartleyFour-Star General V. Lewton
Greg GardinerCinematographer
Tom Everett ScottMatheson
Chris MarquettePope
Billy BrownCarson
Garry MarshallDr. Donald Harlan
Kim RichardsTina
Ike EisenmannSheriff Antony
Tom Woodruff Jr.Siphon
Paul DarnellSiphon (Stunt Double)
John DuffFrank
Kevin ChristyMatt
Bob KoherrMarty
Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy, Kids & Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Media: DVD
Sound: AC-3
IMDb: 1075417