Escape to Witch Mountain Review

These days, Disney Studios bring to mind images of high-tech, computer generated animation that is almost unrivaled in terms of realism. That's all well and good - I love Shrek as much as the next guy. When I was growing up, though, during the 70s, Disney was known also for live action films that were appropriate for the entire family. My sisters and I spent many a Sunday afternoon at matinees with our parents, watching Disney's cornball, good-natured, harmless movies...usually featuring stars from yesteryear. Some of those movies were pretty awful, but most of them were entertaining to kids and at least tolerable to adults. Of all the live action films to come out of Disney's golden age in this medium, the one I remember most fondly is Escape To Witch Mountain.

The premise is one that any kid is likely to latch onto: through a convoluted series of events, two young orphans (brother and sister) come to realize that they're not human, at all, but alien children who were stranded when the ship they were traveling to earth on had an accident. As they uncover long-hidden memories, it becomes clear to the children that they are meant to rendezvous with someone from their past, at a specific location; Witch Mountain. The movie follows their trek, where they enlist the help of a kindly stranger, played by the lovable Eddie Albert. Of course, a movie like this is nothing unless there are bad guys laying chase. ollywood veteren Ray Milland does a good job of being a crotchety villain, hell-bent on getting his hands on the kids and using their aranormal powers for evil. (Insert evil laugh)

When this movie came out in the mid 70s, it was one of my favorites. The story was interesting and fun. The children were played by two of the most popular child actors of the day: Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards (trivia: Kim Richards is Paris and Nicole Hilton's real-life aunt.) The fact that the kids had paranormal abilities was cool. It was just about the perfect movie for an 8 year old - the age I was when I saw first saw it. I remember, distinctly, that my dad *didn't* fall asleep during this movie.

I just caught Escape to Witch Mountain on cable, after all these years. Surprisingly enough, it still holds up as a fun family movie. Sure, it's teeming with hoakiness, and the special effects are painfully primitive...but the child actors are still as cute and engaging as ever. Compared to some of the more recent live action family films I've seen, this is a breath of fresh air. (Don't get me started on the travesty that was The Cat in the hat!)

I started to wonder if there were other people my age out there who had the same, fond memories of this movie and, a few cursor clicks later, I confirmed what I suspected: the movie has a pretty significant fan base. Enough of a fan base that Disney is now in the process of making a sequel starring the very adult Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards!!! (The new movie will be the third in the series...Return To Witch Mountain, a mediocre sequel featuring none other than Bette Davis, was made in 1978.)

If you have grade school aged kids, this is a movie worth finding on cable, or even renting. It's cute, fun, non-violent, and the child actors act like *children*, not like provocative, miniature adults. It won't bore parents to death. I'm getting both Witch Mountains for my nephews, because I fully intend to take them to see the new movie when it comes out in 2009, and I think it'd be cool for them to have seen the first two chapters.

I'd rate this as a minor Disney classic - not Snow White, but better than Herbie.