Race to Witch Mountain Blu Ray Review
August 16, 2009
Race to Witch Mountain is your typical family friendly Hollywood movie. You have your underdog, your evil villain, and not so evil villain all chasing your group. Dwayn Johnson has always made kid friendly films. However, he has not starred in a true family friendly film until Race to Witch Mountain. While Dwayne Johnson is great at action flicks, he has shown his sense of humor and comedic chops in various movies. Race to Witch Mountain blends both comedy and action along with family friendly plot.
The movie does not contain the most original plot. Johnson plays a Las Vegas cab driver named Jack Bruno who had some problem with the law in the past. He is trying to turn things around and go straight. On a day when there is a Comic Con type of event in Las Vegas, he picks up a scientist named Alex Friedman. Afterwards, a sibling of alien jumps into his cab and pleads him to help them reach their destination. With this, he enlists help of Alex to help the pair of aliens find their ship. The sibling, are on a mission to find the data that proves the possibility of their planet being rehabilitated. For once, it is the aliens and not the humans who have destroyed their environment. This leads the military faction of the alien race to plan invasion of Earth while the scientific community wants to rehabilitate their planet.
in a chase team from American government and an alien assassin hired by the alien military faction and the mission becomes harder. They will ultimately reach the ship and have happy ending as this is a family friendly film. The two stars that play the alien sibling are fairly good. But, it’s Dwayn Johnson’s movie from start to finish. The overall acting is fairly good and the action and humor and pretty good. While I wouldn’t recommend this to hardcore Scifi fans, it is pretty good movie for people looking for a lighthearted romp.
What do you think about this movie? Please leave your thoughts below.
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Race to Witch Mountain (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) List Price: Sale Price: $26.99 You save: $18.00 (40%) Average Rating: 
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Ugghh!!!
First of all:
1) What in the world is Cheech Marin doing in this movie? Absolutely no purpose, not even comedic, for his being in this movie.
2) The alien kids powers seem to grow and detract depending on the scene.
3) How can a secret government agency track two unknown children in a population of millions by simply reviewing random cameras?
4) Bruno and the doctor seem to have no problem navigating throw a secret government facility. They magically end up in the very room where the two alien kids are about to be experminated on.
5) Absolute zero chemistry between Bruno and the doctor. Apparently Bruno made such an impression the first time the good doctor’s memory had to be prodded vigoursly.
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not much of interest for the adult viewer
**1/2
The young `uns might get a kick out of “Race to Witch Mountain,” but the rest of us should probably just take a pass on this noisy, dull and uninspired “re-imagining” of “Escape to Witch Mountain” from 1975.
Dwayne Johnson plays an ex-con taxi driver in Las Vegas who experiences the ride of his life when two teenagers from outer space (isn’t that a redundancy?), whose spaceship has crash landed in the desert, jump into the backseat of his cab to escape the nefarious government authorities and the evil aliens out to get them (the explanation as to why they’ve undertaken this dangerous trip to earth will probably be too esoteric and complicated for much of the intended audience to even understand).
Johnson is likable as always, but the kids, with their formalized, take-us-to-your-leader diction, begin to wear on the nerves after awhile. The movie is also top heavy with special effects, car crashes and explosions, and light on originality, characterization and humor.
Okay for kids, stultifying for adults.
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Race to Witch Mountain – Blu-ray Info
Version: U.S.A / BVHE / Region A, C
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
MPEG-4 AVC / BD-50 / AACS
Running time: 1:38:17
Movie size: 27,729,967,104 bytes
Disc size: 36,453,440,969 bytes
Total bit rate: 37.61 Mbps
Average video bit rate: 28.05 Mbps
DTS-HD Master Audio English 3903 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3903 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Dolby Digital Audio Chinese 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio French 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Portuguese 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Thai 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Chinese (Traditional & Simplified), Korean, Malay, Indonesian, Bahasa, Portuguese, Thai
Number of chapters: 12
Which Mountain (HD – 8m:20s)
Deleted Scenes (SD – 23m:21s)
#Bloopers – (3m:37s)
#Digital Copy (Disc-2)
#DVD (Disc-3)
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Only the names have been preserved, if that, in this action-packed chase movie.
Well it’s Disney and its Blu-Ray and you spend 10 minutes before the movie letting Disney tell you this is Disney and its Blu-Ray. I was getting ready for one of those namby-pamby cleanup the planet or some other politically correct movies where the politically correct overtakes the enjoyment of the movie. However I was pleasantly surprised to find out that even though it was an anti-war or anti- take-over your world movie they did not let the premise get in the way of the action packed and the one liners that make movies.
Our world is being invaded. The interlopers in which we all know are strange looking beings that do not have Earth’s best interest in mind, take on the outward appearance of two siblings Sara and Seth (AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig). Could it be that they are just a couple of kids? Here’s where the Disney premise takes over kids can be things that parents can’t kids have insight that adults don’t. Over looking this annoying premise the aliens recruit a local cab driver (Dwayne Johnson) with a colorful background to help them accomplish their mission. The cab driver errors a local UFOlogist, Dr. Alex Friedman (Carla Gugino) to help him accomplish his mission. And what is of good chase movie if you don’t have bad guys like misinforms CIA and evil alien military. Once again we have the Disney you can’t trust authorities to make decisions syndrome. Yet with plenty of action we can overlook these little faux pas.
So get out your popcorn, let your imagination go wild look at the wonderful colors and laugh with us as the aliens teach the cab driver lessons in life.
The One (Superbit Collection)
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Better Than Thought
Short and sweet, this was less corny than I thought it would be. I’m not all too familiar with the original Witch Mountain movies, but from what I can remember, this is much better. I love The Rock. He’s not the funniest man or the best actor, but he really grabs on to the personality of the role and makes it his own. I rented this movie for the fear that it wouldn’t be good and I wouldn’t mind owning this. I do recommend this.
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Another Disney Cheap Formula Production
Positives:
(1.) I tried to think of at least one – nothing. Sorry!
Negatives:
(1.) Nothing original; just stolen ideas from “Close Encounters”, “Fifth Element”, “Day the Earth Stood Still” & a few other sci-fi movies. They retread this plot for the umpteenth time: Good aliens come to Earth to find hidden relic that will save human kind from aliens who have sent a killing robot to also retrieve it.
(2.) Aliens that look & act like teenagers. Aliens that show immense powers one minute and ineptitude the next – just to keep the movie going for 90 minutes I suppose.
(3.) Highly scripted, simplistic & boring short monologues for actors incapable of anything more challenging.
(4.) Cheap special effects such as floating CD discs, money; mind reading (that effect doesn’t cost anything); burning debris to represent a crashed alien craft; a couple of simple cheap green screen graphics of a hobby shop space ship.
(5.) Sadly, movies like this contribute nothing to a an educative or creative experience – just a dumbing down. As an alternative, in a similar genre, I would recommend the masterfully sculpted “Coraline”. But, be careful what you wish for!
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Dwayne Johnson and RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN speed onto Disney Blu-ray
Remaking the classic 1975 Walt Disney movie, ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN and its 1978 follow-up RETURN FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN, RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN focuses on the alien teenagers Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) and Seth (Alexander Ludwig) who team up with the reluctant cab driver, Jack Bruno (Dwayne Johnson) as they try to evade a shadowy government agency who is determined to stop them before they can return to their home planet. The pair are determined to complete their mission though, for if they don’t, it will have grave consequences for not only their own world, but also our own. With thrilling, fast-paced action throughout, interwoven with tension and comedy, RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN proves to be fun and entertaining for the whole family.
While it is definitely not a masterpiece of cinema, and while the script by Matt Lopez (BEDTIME STORIES) and Mark Bomback (LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD) has more coincidences and implausible moments in it that border on the ridiculous, even prompting a scene where Carla Gugino’s character, Dr. Alex Friedman, comments on how unlikely all the events leading up to that point are, there is still a certain charm to the film. This is due solely to Dwayne Johnson and his two young co-stars.
What is remarkable about Johnson is how he is able to create a persona on the screen that can convey an unparalleled and intimidating strength, but then at the same time be tender and caring. He can easily transition from a fight scene where he effortlessly disarms and subdues armed assailants with an incredible intensity and ferocity, into a moment where he is laughing with the children. Johnson is bar none, the best action star on screen today, and although lately he has been cast in similar roles of “the tough guy with the heart of gold,” he has not let his performances become just stereotypes or carbon copies of one another, but instead seeks to find something unique in the heart of each role he takes on. He is simply, an action hero who can act. He is not afraid to show his vulnerability on screen, yet still conveys an undercurrent of confidence that gives him a greater depth that draws an audience in.
Paramount to good acting is the ability to be willing to give to the other actors in a scene, and in RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN, Johnson allows his teenage co-stars to shine, using his strength not to overpower them, but rather to support them on the screen. The relationship that is then developed between the three actors has a genuineness and charm about it that saves this movie from being just a silly chase film. Playing the two alien children, AnnaSophia Robb (CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY) and Alexander Ludwig (THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING) create likable characters that other teens are sure to relate to and are able to keep up with Johnson and help carry the movie throughout.
There are some great cameos in the film including a rare on screen appearance by Garry Marshall (“Happy Days”), a small role as a mechanic for Cheech Marin and in the most memorable easter egg moment, Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann, the children from the original movies, turn up in a scene at Ray’s Diner. Unfortunately though, Tom Everett Scott (THAT THING YOU DO) has a supporting role that woefully underutilizes the skilled actor’s talents.
The action sequences in RACE TO WTICH MOUNTAIN are fantastic, and stunt coordinator Mike Justus has put together some tremendous scenes, including some of the best precision driving that has been seen on screen in recent years. Being that the film’s title does include the word “race,” and since Johnson’s character is obsessed with the 1968 Steve McQueen movie BULLITT, which itself was built around an iconic chase scene, expect a lot of screen time to be devoted to driving and car chases. Luckily though the sequences are well planned out with unparalleled special effects and stunt work, so they do not become tiresome, but rather help keep the frenetic pacing of the movie moving forward.
While the performances of Johnson, Robb and Ludwig form a strong central core to the film, and while the special effects and stunts bring their own aesthetic appeal, the screenwriting is what weakens the movie overall. The movie is formulaic and easily predictable, and the implausible moments become so numerous that it becomes distracting. All and all though, it is what it is, and will at least provide an entertaining night for the whole family.
For the Blu-ray release of the film, Disney is offering a “limited time combo pack,” that contains three discs: the blu-ray version of the film, the DVD of the film and a digital copy of the film. This is a $74 value that will ensure that you can watch the movie on different mediums and not have to buy another copy of the film when you upgrade your home technology. This is a great move by Disney and a lead that more studios should follow.
With a movie with so many visual effects and great action, one would expect this release to be full of great bonus materials. It is not. The viewer is given the compulsory blooper reel and deleted scenes, as well as an eight minute look at all the references to the original movies in RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN. Here you can learn that Dwayne Johnson’s cab number is 1975, which also happens to be the year ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN came out. The deleted scenes are unbearable since they feature commentary before each one by director Andy Fickman who states, “we loved this scene but had to cut it because it tonally wasn’t right.” Over and over again. Having a featurette on the precision driving team, the stunt work or the special effects would have been welcome and simply should have been included with this release.
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Bad Trend
I have noticed a bad trend lately, studios have been packaging Blu-ray+dvd+digital copy together and selling ti for a higher price insted of releasing Just the blu ray on its own. This seems to be just an excuse to overcharge for a movie. Hope it does Not continue.
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Almost butchered a Classic…..
I decided to see this movie on a whim that it would be a good remake….I was wrong. I grew up on Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain and was wighing what I remembered against this bland remake. I could hardly call it a remake becuse you have two kids now called Seth and Sarah (instead of Tony and Tia) having to get to Witch Mountain to leave the planet. For this version we decided to add a secert Government Agency (along with some BAD jokes from some of the agents) instead of a greedy millionare, the kids have new powers (in which some are cheesy), a cab driver (who I couldn’t believe that the Rock was put in the lead role) trying to understand what is going on with these two kids, we replace the cat with a dog, add only one of the towns from the orginal, decides to be even more cheesy by escaping Las Vegas in a RV (just like the orginal vehicle in which was used throughout the first one), and OH YEAH!! Witch Mouintain is now a SECRET MILITARY BASE???????
please tell me what they were thinking with that??
Oh yeah…let’s decide to add a Assassin as well!!
Spoler Below…stop (if you REALLY need to)
The whole ending to the movie was made so many times before-hand. It seemed like they ripped off the ending by combining the two endings for Aliens and Alien Resurrection. They are escpaing from the assassin and the government base of Witch Mountain when the air lock isn’t shutting (hmmm…anyone out there who has seen these types of movies in the past should figure out what is about to happen) so the Rock decides to check it out, and OH MY GOD!!! THE ASSASSIN HAS GOTTEN ON BOARD!!! He gets his butted kicked for awhile, Tony (I mean SETH) goes back somehow sensing that he is in trouble, distracts the Alien and end up throwing him through the open air lock and vaporizing the Alien and then clsing the lock and breathing a sigh of relief.
And don’t get me started on the scientist who joins the trio half-way through. I didn’t think she had much of a role or purpose. (other then eye candy)
One of the good points I do like in these remakes is when they put in the orginal cast members somewhere in the show. I did like seeing the charcters of Tony/Tia being in there and also having “Tia” helping them escape without giving much of a explaination.
Overall, I recommend a rental only for those who’ve seen the orginal movies, and would only recommend a purchase for those who havn’t seen the orginal (even though I would recommend them) or just love movies that spice-up the classics and spend a huge budget thinking that explosions and just adding a few new things to these classics.
It was a very predictable movie for the most part.
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Loved it!
I dont remember ever watching the other Witch Mountain movies when I was a kid. I was worried that I would be missing something in Race to Witch Mountain, but there was nothing to worry about in that aspect. This movie starts in Vegas and Dwayne Johnson(The Rock) is a taxi driver. 2 kids end up in his taxi and he gets chased by the government to get them. The kids are from another planet and have powers. This movie is fun for the whole family. And for all the Dwayne Johnson fans, he looks as sexy as ever.
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Race to Witch Mountain is full of action
I have seen Race to Witch mountain the other day in theatres. It was a good adaptation of the remakes of Escape To Witch Mountain and Return To Witch Mountain. Dwayne Johnson scores another Disney Box office hit which his last hits were The Game Plan and Get Smart the movie. I love this movie now my third favorite Dwayne Johnson film. I can’t wait for the two disc extended edition dvd with scenes that was cut out of the theatrical version because of time and money to make this a good Action-Science fiction Adventure movie.
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Interesting concept but with very bad actors
This movie would have been very good if they had just recast the two little alien people. In my mind they showed little to no real emotion and they both gave off silly performances in a bland attempt to sound serious. Other than that the movie was interesting. Also it is very weird that there are over 5 different remakes of this film. Can’t Disney just stick with the original?
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Watchable, but that’s about it
At the store yesterday I bought a copy of the classic movie Tron. It’s still got a paper-thin plot, and the SFX are aged, but, damn, I love that movie! David Warner for the win!
Along with the DVD came a little coupon for a free ticket to the movie Race to Witch Mountain, which is basically a remake of the 1975 film, Escape to Witch Mountain (funny side note: one of my friends said once he knew he might be gay after seeing the character of Tony in that movie). I remember the movie myself. I watched it quite a bit when I was a kid, whenever it wa son TV (for you youngun’s out there… this was in the days before DVDs and barely in the days of VHS. If you wanted to watch a movie, you had to wait until it was broadcast).
I heard about this new version and had zero interest in seeing it. Then I got the free ticket and thought, eh, what the hell.
So now I’ve seen the film and I call it… mediocre. The SFX are quite good and Dwayne Johnson is very charismatic (I’m surprised his movie career hasn’t taken off more, but I think it helps that he’s no longer calling himself The Rock). But otherwise, this is nothing special.
The film tells the story of two aliens who apparently are unable to pilot a starship into orbit and instead conveniently crash in the Las Vegas area. Sooper sekrit guvmint sp00ks track this crash and start tailing the aliens, who now look like normal kids and have stowed away in the back of a taxi being driven by Johnson’s character. Stuff happens, the government proves to be omniscent, omnipotent and omnipresent (if only the real government functioned like that), the kids make all sorts of pretentious remarks, I yawn and look at my watch.
This wasn’t a bad movie, really, and it was nice to see the original actors from the first movie back again in something other than just a little “Oh, look who it is!” cameo. But the story was weak, the government agents implausible and the less said about the acting aside from Ciran Hinds and Dwayne Johnson the better (Alexander Ludwig is most notable here as an “actor” whose primary talent seems to be standing around looking attractive and desirable to the readers of Non-Threatening Boys magazine. In this, at least, he succeeds admirably).
I’ll grant the original Witch Mountain movies weren’t any great shakes, but they were at least somewhat better than this warmed-over drek. Don’t waste your time.
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Better Than Expected
I was pleasantly surprised by Race To Witch Mountain. Good enough storyline, decent acting and good special effects. Cameos of Classic Disney Actors and a director who did not set out to destroy the Originals. That all being said and done allow me to explain why my opinion should count. I not only have seen but own the entire Witch Mountain series consisting of
#1 Escape To Witch Mountain
#2 Return From Witch Mountain
#3 Beyond Witch Mountain
#4 The New Escape To Witch Mountain
#5 The Witch mountain Project
and soon
#6 Race To Witch Mountain
I also own both Escape To Witch Mountain and Return From Witch Mountain by Alexander Key.
I loved the books. The First Disney Classic followed the books very little per usual. The second one follwed closer.
Escape To Witch Mountain I thought was a decent fun and haunting movie when I was a kid. I Loved Return even more. Bette Davis and Christopher Lee were a good team.
Beyond Witch Mountainw as a tv pilot film that brought Tracy Gould and Kirk Cameron (both from Growing Pains) together with Eddie Albert. This movie was boring. Flat out, had to watch it 3 times before finishing. Its only somthing to be owned by sincere collectors. Dosnt follow the movie plotline or the book. Basic dribble.
The New Escape To Witch mountain I hate admitting it exists, let alon that i own it. The stupid Purple light concept was AWFUL. Eric Von Detton could not act and the movie was rotten all the way around.
The Witch Mountain project is a spoof of Blair Witch, very fun 15 minute short that features Ike Eismann and Kim Richards in a tongue in cheek finale. Worth hunting down.
So with the release of Race To Witch Mountain you can see why I was skeptical, 2 really bad films in a row.
What it appears to me is that the writer and director were old Disney Fans. Writing a story that is feesable with todays beliefs and still work in classic cameos and tongue in cheek humor.
They took painstaking care to incorpertae all kinds of Escape to Witch Mountain tribut’s in the film right down to an Eddie Albert Record in the background. Kime Richards and Ike Eissman both make Cameo appearnces and as an extra bonus to us Disney fans Meredith Salinger reprised her role as Nattily Sue Gann Reporter in the film. For those of you unaware Merideth was the actress who potrayed Natty in The classic Journey Of Natty Gann. These are some of the fun treats in store for the Witch Mountain Fanatics. The actors are good, carrying off their roles very believably. The writing was good, solid and interesting. The story built and grew and had the Disney ending. For people who are into special effects, they were decent and believable. A family film with somthing for everyone. A true Witch mountain fan should agree with everything I have said. Take a chance and see for yourself.Maybe not a classic, but not a waste of an hour and half. Enjoyable.
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An Awesome Remake!!!
I thought this was a really good movie, and had a lot of action and was very funny! Everybody did an awesome job! I can’t compare it to the original because it has been a long time since I’ve watched it. Dwayne Johnson plays Jack Bruno, a taxi driver who helps two kids named Seth and Sara get back to Witch Mountain to retrieve their ship, who happen to be aliens! I loved Seth and Sara’s powers! They are pursued by the dumb Government who want to examine them. Then, they seek help from Dr. Alex Friedman, who is played by the sexy Carla Gugino. Will Seth and Sara get back to Witch Mountain in time? I highly recommend that you RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN!!!
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