After having a successful career in professional wrestling, Dwayne Johnson now has a successful acting career.  He started off with some small parts and worked his way up to the main parts.  I have seen and enjoyed most of his movies, and I tend to be willing to give his new movies a chance.  I recently had the chance to see his newest movie, Race to Witch Mountain.

A UFO convention is going on at the Planet Hollywood Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.  Cab driver Jack Bruno is a bit annoyed with some of the people going to the convention that he has to deal with.  He does meet Dr. Alex Friedman, a legitimate scientist who is speaking about the possibility of alien life at the convention.  She invites him to her presentation, but he really isn’t interested.  While that is going on, a group of government men are investigating what looks like the crash of a space ship.  Henry Burke, the man in charge, is determined to find the aliens he is sure were in the spaceship.

The next day, Jack, who is trying to put his shady past behind him, has a confrontation with that past.  He is then surprised when a brother and sister, Seth and Sara, seem to just appear in his cab.  They want to go to a destination that is in the middle of nowhere.  Jack agrees once he sees that they have the money to pay.  Things don’t go well and it isn’t long before Jack has to accept that Sara and Seth are aliens that need his help to return home.  Jack decides to go to Alex for help while avoiding Burke and the forces after Sara and Seth.

Race to Witch Mountain is based on the book Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key.  I have never read the book, so I’m not sure what was changed.  The book was first turned into a movie in 1975, which shared the same title.  The movie was successful and there were a few sequels and a remake in 1995.  I can’t remember seeing any of the other movie versions of the story.  From the few things I have read after seeing this movie, I think changes were made while also keeping some connections to the original movies.  The actors who played the children in the original movie have small parts in one scene at a small diner. 

Only a small amount of time was taken to set up things at the beginning of Race to Witch Mountain before focusing on the main plot.  Things are shown that indicate that Jack is still having some problems moving on from his past.  That seems to be an attempt to make Jack a fuller character, though those things ultimately don’t go anywhere.  One thing about his past seems to have been added for the character just as a reason for why he is such a good driver.  That also makes it a bit of a coincidence that Sara and Seth end up in his cab since that driving skill will be put to good use during a few scenes.  There isn’t any resolution to the things connected to Jack’s past, but other things are resolved.  During the first few minutes of the credits, there are a few more short scenes that are entertaining.  One of those seems to leave the possibility of a sequel open.

The opening credits for Race to Witch Mountain have images of pictures and news stories about possible alien sightings over the years.  That fits in well with the main plot of the movie since Sara and Seth are aliens and Burke and his men are after them.  Soon after the kids meet up with Jack, it is clear that they aren’t normal teenagers since they have some unique abilities.  All of the previews I’ve seen for the movie have made it clear that they are aliens, so that isn’t a spoiler.  The reason why they came to earth is a little different from what has been done in other alien movies, which I did like.  Alex is a scientist who believes in aliens, which has caused her some issues with her work.  Things connected to the UFO convention are also shown in a couple of scenes, including some of the more bizarre people that believe in aliens.  Some special effects are used for certain things, usually connected to things that Seth and Sara could do.  I think the effects were done well overall, with a few of them being very impressive.  There is one scene later in the movie with effects that didn’t look as good. 

There is a decent amount of action in Race to Witch Mountain that includes car chases and some fights.  There is some mild violence in the movie that doesn’t get graphic, so it is still a family friendly movie.  The action helps to keep things interesting and keeps things moving at a faster pace overall.  Some of the things that happen during the action scenes aren’t the most believable, but they still work overall with what is going on.  Nothing too graphic or violent happens, so this is a family friendly movie, though it probably isn’t a good choice for really young children.  The movie is rated PG, so parents should keep that in mind when deciding if it is a good choice for their children.

Race to Witch Mountain has a decent amount of humor that I think works well.  There isn’t any gross humor like tends to turn up in a lot of movies aimed at kids and families, which is nice.  I get tired of that sort of humor.  A few things that happen are a bit silly, but I didn’t think the silliness took over things.  There is a good blend of humor and adventure in the movie.  A few scenes are more serious and there is a bit of a message as well.  The message is handled fine, though some people may feel differently. 

Jack, Sara and Seth are the characters that receive the most attention during Race to Witch Mountain.  Jack has a rather shady past that he is working to overcome.  For a while, it does seem like something from his past is going to be fairly important with what is happening, but it ultimately goes nowhere.  Jack has doubts about Sara and Seth at first, but he gets past them and ends up helping them.  I really liked Dwayne Johnson in the part.  He made the character believable and likable.  I tend to really like Johnson in his movies.  He has a lot of charisma and is a natural entertaining.  I do think his acting has gotten better since his first few movies.

Sara and Seth are siblings from another world trying to complete a mission that will save their world and earth.  They each have unique abilities and they seem to adapt fairly well to their surroundings.  Seth is less trusting than Sara.  AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig were good in the parts.  They did seem a little stiff at times, but I think that worked for the characters. 

Alex is a scientist who has had trouble professionally because of her belief in aliens.  She ends up helping Jack, Sara and Seth.  She seemed to be a nice woman, though really not much was shared about her.  Carla Gugino was fine in the role.  Dr. Donald Harlan is someone who fully believes in aliens that Alex turns to for a bit of help.  He fully embraces all sorts of conspiracies and is an interesting character.  Gary Marshall did a good job with the part. 

Henry Burke is the only one of the government men with any development, though it is very limited.  He is just determined to capture Sara and Seth no matter what.  Ciaran Hinds was good in the part.  The other government men are just sort of around.  Tom Everett Scott stood out slightly to me, but I think that is because I recognized him and not because of anything about the character.

Main Cast

Carla Gugino - Dr. Alex Friedman
Ciaran Hinds - Henry Burke
Dwayne Johnson - Jack Bruno
Alexander Ludwig - Seth
Gary Marshall - Dr. Donald Harlan
AnnaSophia Robb - Sara
Tom Everett Scott - Matheson

Andy Frickman - Director

Race to Witch Mountain is a fun, entertaining adventure movie that is family friendly.  People that have enjoyed some of Dwayne Johnson’s other movies may also find something to like about the movie.

Dwayne Johnson Movie Reviews
Be Cool ~ The Game Plan ~ Get Smart ~ Gridiron Gang ~ The Mummy Returns ~

Recommended: Yes