Race to Witch Mountain

Theatrical Release Date: 2009 03 13 (USA)

UPC: 786936787238

Studio: Walt Disney

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Violence, Scary Moments]

Summary: Walt Disney Pictures resurrects one of their time-honored franchises with Race to Witch Mountain, a family-oriented sci-fi adventure that tells the story of two alien visitors (AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig) whose search for their spacecraft gets them caught up in an adventure with a cab driver (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) and a UFO specialist (Carla Gugino). As the group races toward the mysterious mountain in the Nevada desert that has mystified scientists and paranormal researchers for years, the government, gangsters, and an extraterrestrial bounty hunter attempt to prevent them from reaching their intended destination. Should the two planetary travelers fail in recovering their ship, an alien invasion will be launched against the entire planet. The original 1975 picture Escape to Witch Mountain was followed by the sequel Return From Witch Mountain, as well as a 1995 made-for-TV remake. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Category: Children's/Family

Features: Deleted Scenes - With commentary by director Andy Fickman
Bloopers - Dwayne Johnson and the cast crack up over on-set mistakes
Dylan & Cole Sprouse: Blu-ray Is Suite!
Learn How To Take Your Favorite Movies On The Go

Race to Witch Mountain

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 08/04/2009

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 99 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) French,Spanish

Subtitles: French,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Race to Witch Mountain
1. The Real Deal [9:07]
2. Transportation Services Required [8:19]
3. Pursuit [9:12]
4. We Can Involve You No Further [4:20]
5. Worldly Experiences [20:40]
6. Rhinoceros Fight [4:32]
7. They're Here for Us [5:49]
8. Dr. Alex Friedman [6:52]
9. Trapped in Planet Hollywood [6:16]
10. Detained [9:59]
11. Witch Mountain [9:03]
12. End Credits [4:20]

Perry Seibert

The people responsible for Disney's franchise reboot Race to Witch Mountain could have churned out a by-the-numbers piece of junk, and still made a mint off the parents with fond memories of the originals who dutifully take their kids to see it. Thankfully, everybody involved went the other route, and audiences will be able to tell how much the people involved actually cared about what they were making. Director Andy Fickman, working from a solid screenplay by Matt Lopez and Mark Bomback, creates the cinematic equivalent of a ride on Space Mountain -- it's exhilarating, fun, just a tad scary, and totally satisfying. Dwayne Johnson (the artist formerly known as "The Rock") plays Jack Bruno, a tough-guy cab driver with a shady past. One day, a pair of very odd teens -- Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) and Seth (Alexander Ludwig) -- suddenly materialize in the back seat of his taxi. In their overly formal, emotionless speech patterns they ask "Jack Bruno" (both address him by his full name at all times) to take them to a remote location out in the desert. He's unsure what to make of the pair, but the huge wad of cash they offer cinches the deal. As they drive through the middle of nowhere, a couple of scary black cars appear and begin to menacingly chase the taxi -- the first of many well-choreographed action sequences. Thanks to Jack's skill behind the wheel, he and the kids survive the attack, and slowly the boy and girl -- who turn out to be light-years away from home -- learn that this human might be the only person they can trust to save not only their own planet, but Earth as well. What's great about the film is that there are almost no dialogue-heavy scenes. This is a movie about momentum; it's a chase movie, and the action neither overwhelms nor slows down for the easy-to-follow storyline. Also, the filmmakers don't dumb down this material -- it's family-friendly in the best sense of the phrase. It includes lots of UFO folklore, but it's far from an Unexplained Phenomenon 101 class. Those who know why Project Bluebook, Roswell, and Whitley Strieber matter to UFO enthusiasts will chuckle, but these pieces are there for color, not plot; it's not about a conspiracy -- it's an action movie, and a very exciting one thanks to intelligent editing and very appealing performances. As a pro wrestler, Dwayne Johnson learned how to ham it up, but he's a savvy enough performer to know how far he can push it. But here, he underplays his character, and that decision makes the flying saucers and telekinesis and alien assassins all the more thrilling. He plays well off both the kids, especially Robb, who -- between her work in this, Bridge to Terabithia, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -- possesses a versatility rarely seen in 15-year-olds. Of course, a good action film needs a formidable bad guy, and the movie has two. Ciar?n Hinds plays the menacing government official ordered to keep the kids on Earth, and his long, deeply lined face gives his character the same kind of sinister, mysterious power the Cigarette Smoking Man had in The X-Files. The other fearsome foe, an intergalactic assassin sent to kill Sara and Seth, is a helmeted monster that's one part Storm Trooper and one part Predator -- its unmasking is a scary, gross-out highlight. Race to Witch Mountain isn't some kind of action watershed, or science-fiction milestone, but it most certainly is a finely crafted reboot of a franchise that was ripe for an updating. The decision to cash in on the Witch Mountain name might have been business, but the film itself is a pleasure. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Andrew Gunn  Producer 
Nelson Stoll  Screenwriter 
Mario Iscovich  Executive Producer 
Trevor Rabin  Composer (Music Score) 
Andy Fickman  Director 
Andy Fickman  Screenwriter 
Ann Marie Sanderlin  Executive Producer 
Mark Bomback  Screenwriter 
Matt Lopez  Screenwriter 
Dwayne Johnson  Actor 
AnnaSophia Robb  Actor 
Alexander Ludwig  Actor 
Carla Gugino  Actor 
Ciarán Hinds  Actor 
Tom Everett Scott  Actor 
Chris Marquette  Actor 
Billy Brown  Actor 
Garry Marshall  Actor 
Kim Richards  Actor 
Cheech Marin  Actor 
Ike Eisenmann  Actor 
Tom Woodruff, Jr.  Actor 
Bob Koherr  Actor 
John Duff  Actor 
Kevin Christy  Actor 
Bob Clendenin  Actor 
John Kassir  Actor 
Beth Kennedy  Actor 
Jonathan Slavin  Actor 
Harry Murphy  Actor 
Ted Hartley  Actor 
Jack Eastland  Actor 
Meredith Salenger  Actor 
Andrew Shaifer  Actor 
Suzanne Krull  Actor 
Christine Lakin  Actor 
Dave Engfer  Actor 
Omar J. Dorsey  Actor 
Sam Wolfson  Actor 
Paul Darnell  Actor 
Bryan Fogel  Actor 
Robert Torti  Actor 
Steven Rosenbaum  Actor 

Country: USA