Race to Witch Mountain Review

Ask me to describe Disney's Race to Witch Mountain in one word and what would I say?

Fun.

Race to Witch Mountain is a re-imagining of the classic Disney film Escape to Witch Mountain and it stars ex-wrestler Dwayne Johnson (known to many as "The Rock") as cab driver Jack Bruno who has to drive two mysterious kids, Seth and Sara (played by Alexander Ludwig and AnnaSophia Robb) to recover a device that may or may not spell doom to the entire planet Earth. They are being pursued by the U.S. Government as well as a truly evil creature called the Siphon, which has only one purpose, which is to destroy its intended target.

Directed by Andy Fickman, who directed last year's hit "The Game Plan," (also starring Johnson) "Race" delivers a clever script, some very funny moments involving some Stormtroopers, and some action sequences that left this reviewer's audience collectively saying "woah" at multiple points throughout the movie. The movie also features some great cameos by the actors who played the two kids in the original film. Here they play an extremely instrumental role in the kids escape to their final destination.

The effects are amazing. There are sequences that leave your jaw dropped so long that you will actually begin to collect dust. That's a good thing. The Siphon creature is truly menacing and looks intensely creepy both with mask on and without. Performances are great all around. The two kids are wonderfully weird without going over the top. Carla Gugino (Watchmen, Sin City, Spy Kids) is great as an astrophysicist who comes along for the ride. Johnson here proves once again that he is not just a wrestler turned actor, he is a bona fide action star who can play both funny and serious if the role calls for it.

In short, go see Race to Witch Mountain. It is a fun ride for the family and has some of the best action sequences in a family movie that I have seen in a good long time. Be warned, there are scenes in the movie that may be too scary or intense for younger viewers but this is a fun movie all around.