Thursday, April 9, 2009

Race to Witch Mountain

ASSESSMENT ONLY
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Anna Sophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig, Carla Gugino; Director: Andy Fickman; Producer: Andrew Gunn; Screenwriters: Andy Fickman, Mark Bomback, Matt Lopez; Music: Trevor Rabin; Genre: Sci-Fiction, Action/Adventure; Distributor: Walt Disney; Location: USA;

Technical Assessment: 3.5
Moral Assessment: 3.5
CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 13 and below with parental guidance

BRIEF FILM SYNOPSIS

Johnson plays Jack Bruno, a surly former felon who is trying to stay out of trouble by driving a cab in Las Vegas and who embarks upon the adventure of a lifetime when two teens appear in his taxi and need a ride to (seemingly) the middle of nowhere. He quickly realizes that the mysterious siblings, Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) and Seth (Alexander Ludwig), are far from average—especially when they are pursued by a villain wearing a high-tech suit of armor. With the help of Dr. Alex Friedman (Carla Gugino), the two travel to Witch Mountain, a secret government outpost in the Nevada desert, with the hopes of evading their pursuers and sending Sara and Seth home—and saving Earth in the process. This latest installment in the Witch Mountain series comes more than 30 years after the release of the first two films, ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN and RETURN TO WITCH MOUNTAIN. Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann, who played siblings Tia and Tony in the original films, appear in small but pivotal roles as waitress and a sheriff. Johnson makes Bruno likable, even though the character barely likes himself. Robb and Ludwig are well cast as the earnest siblings who hold the fate of the world in their hands. Chase scenes abound and special effects that highlight the teens' special powers are prevalent, but the film remains kind-friendly.