For years, stories have circulated about a secret place in the middle of the Nevada desert known for unexplained phenomena and strange sightings. It is called Witch Mountain, and when Las Vegas cab driver Jack Bruno encounters two teens with supernatural powers in his cab, he suddenly finds himself in the middle of an adventure he can’t explain. Working together, Jack and his young passengers discover that the only chance to save the world lies in unravelling the secrets of Witch Mountain, and the race begins...

Race to Witch Mountain is a remake of the popular 1970’s children’s film Escape to Witch Mountain which featured alien children Tony and Tia, known in this remake as Seth and Sara. Director, Andy Fickman, couldn’t wait to jump aboard for the ride, as this was one of his all time favourite films as a child.

Dwayne Johnson plays Jack Bruno, a down-and-out Las Vegas cabbie whose life is thrown into out-of-this-world chaos by two alien teenagers. Being such a versatile actor he creates a memorable new action hero, as well as being adept at timing comedy perfectly and connecting to his audience both domestically and internationally.

Alexander Ludwig and AnnaSophia Robb are perfect casting for the roles of Seth and Sara, the two teens that play brother and sister. The chemistry of the pair working together is just magic; they really work well off each other. Sara shows her humorous side while Seth is more pessimistic and has problems trusting anyone.

Being a children’s film I was surprised at how much I found myself wanting to hide behind my popcorn. The scenes with the siphon, a humanoid bred on Seth and Sara’s planet as a ruthless hunter whose assignment is to stop the teenagers at any cost, were particularly scary. This killing machine will stop at nothing to kill his targets and he is one tough cookie with a suit of armour to match and a small army of weaponry, literally, up his sleeve.

As well as being chased by the siphon there is also the chase by the Government, which is led by Henry Burke, a UFO investigator, played by the Irish actor Ciarán Hinds. Everywhere Jack and the teen’s turn he is there. It would appear there is no escape for the trio, from either the Government or the siphon.

One thing that stood out in particular for me was how the comedy worked alongside the action. One minute we are laughing at Johnson telling a dog that he doesn’t have time to stop on the road for a toilet break and the next thing you know they are being pursued by the baddies again.

The cinematography is just as you would expect from a Disney film; vibrant, dark and pleasing to the eye. There are numerous scenes that were breathtaking, for example a scene near the beginning shows Seth controlling his molecular structure to stop a speeding car and render it useless. This is not unlike those infamous "bullet time" scenes from The Matrix where the scene is shown in slow motion and the actor is paused whilst shrapnel is shown to be missing the body.

To warm the audience of the original film, the original actors who played the brother and sister are actually in this remake. The woman who played Tia is now playing the part of a waitress who helps the new kids out and the man who played Tony now plays the part of the Sheriff. Both actors are in the same scenes, which rounds this film off nicely.

Race to Witch Mountain does not stop from start to finish. It’s like a never-ending roller coaster ride; just when you thought you could get off, it starts right up again. From car chases, explosions, aliens, spaceships, a six foot six hunting machine, weapons, telekinesis, telepathy, family, love, humour and much more this is one action packed, sci-fi, adventure film.

With an all-star cast and incredible special effects this film is set to be a massive hit. Hold on tight, you’re about to have the race of your life.

10

Helena Rea