Seen on: March 13, 2009

The players: Director: Andy Fickman, Writers: Mark Bomback, Matt Lopez, Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Ciaran Hinds, Anna-Sophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig, Carla Gugino

Facts of interest: Based on the book "Escape to Witch Mountain" by Alexander Key.

The plot: A Las Vegas taxi driver's life abruptly changes when he picks up two alien kids who crash-landed on Earth and need to get back to their ship.

Our thoughts: Disney’s remake “Race to Witch Mountain” is a lot of things, but it certainly isn’t as dreadful as I originally thought. The film is by no means a masterpiece or even a must-see, but it’s got a bunch of qualities I admit I enjoyed experiencing.

First and foremost, Andy Fickman’s sci-fi family adventure is entertaining for the most part. “Race” doesn’t waste much time setting up its main intrigue, and within the first 10 minutes or so, the story’s central characters are already engaged in one of many explosive pursuits.

Strangely enough, herein also lies my major dilemma. Although the movie as a whole is rather fast-paced, the plot is still a little too monotonous. I mean, let’s face it: besides chase sequence after chase sequence, this one doesn’t have that much to offer.

Disney’s new hero Dwayne Johnson stars as Jack Bruno, a Las Vegas taxi driver who really struggles to get by. Things quickly change, however, when he encounters Sara and Seth, two extraterrestrial kids who crash-landed on Earth and must return to their spaceship before a ruthless alien assassin blows them away.

The main story line of “Race to Witch Mountain” also involves a sub-plot about the kids trying to save their own planet and prevent the invasion of Earth, but to be honest, that part doesn’t matter much in the end. After all, this one’s a 100 percent sci-fi action flick for kids.

The word “kids” is key here, because that’s the film’s target audience, and that’s also exactly who I believe will enjoy this adventure the most. The portrayal of Sara and Seth of two strong individuals determined to complete their mission will certainly appeal to young cinemagoers, as will the large amount of action.

Now, even though the story remains rather thin and the constant cat-and-mouse game between the good guys, the ruthless government and the evil killer lacks suspense and surprises, “Witch Mountain” possesses a few things that easily make it a watchable big-screen experience.

Two things I liked about this movie were Fickman’s direction and Greg Gardiner’s vibrant cinematography, which successfully inject otherwise standard action scenes with spice. The special effects department could have made a slightly better job, but overall, the film’s look helps boost its plot’s pace.

A few words about the acting: I wasn’t worried at all about AnnaSophia Robb’s performance as one of the alien kids, because she already delivered a delightful performance in “Bridge to Terabithia.” I had trouble buying Alexander Ludwig as her companion Seth, but he gets better along the way.

As far as former WWE star Johnson is concerned, he didn’t really convince me even though he didn’t totally disappoint me either. His work is certainly much better than in “The Game Plan,” but he’s still not a funny guy. Carla Gugino’s performance didn’t knock me out of my seat either.

Freaky quote: “Don't go in the pimped out fridge Jack..." – Dwayne Johnson

The final word: Take the kids to see this one, because they’ll certainly be busy staring at all the racing and explosions on the big screen. Make sure you don’t take the very young ones though, because there’s plenty of loud noise and shooting going on in “Race” as well. But don’t worry, this is still a Disney flick, and you know careful they are.

“Race to Witch Mountain” is not a fantastic family adventure, but it won’t make your life miserable either.

Article by Franck Tabouring