Race to Witch Mountain

Disney 2009

R4 DVD

Science Fiction

Reviewer: Bob Estreich

You can easily be forgiven if you see this film as a grown-up version of E.T. It has all the characteristics of the earlier film – kids as heroes, likeable aliens, an evil government agency, and a reluctant Earthman hero. It also has a lot of the charm of E.T. and this, combined with Disney’s undoubted skill at making a quality film, will ensure the popularity of Witch Mountain. Both this film and its predecessor Escape To Witch Mountain (1975) are based on an earlier book by Alexander Key.

The plotline is fairly straightforward science fiction and rather derivative. A spaceship crashes on Earth. An evil government body is looking for the occupants who turn out to be two alien kids out to save their home planet. The people of their planet have made such a mess of their ecology that they propose to invade Earth, believing their own planet is beyond hope. The kids hope to prove this is not so by borrowing some of Earth’s anti-global warming ideas.. Their parents have been imprisoned because of their opposition to the invasion. There’s an ecological message in here that our future lies with our kids, but the point comes across without being laboured.

Their only ally on Earth is a rogue taxi driver who reluctantly becomes involved in their cause. He is helped by a female astrophysicist whose career is suffering due to her radical ideas. The little band is also helped by a huge group of eccentrics gathered at a science fiction convention, who provide the comic relief. Although different members of the convention range from obsessed to funny, mercenary or demented, they are a harmless and generally amusing lot and they keep a light note in the film to offset the explosions and chase scenes.

The group must make it to Witch Mountain where the spaceship is being held in the usual high-security secret government installation (the U.S. must be saturated with these places). The baddies know they are coming. What is also coming is a Terminator-like android whose job is to kill the kids before they can get back to their planet with their message of hope.

The film seems to have a far higher action level than most Disney films but it’s still recognisably a product of that company. It is quite acceptable for kids but is not so sickeningly nice that adults will want to give it up in disgust. I also like the idea that it’s OK to be a scientist, as well as the notion that global ecology problems are not just for adults. In this respect Disney films are taking a quite mature attitude to their young audience. They are no longer Snow White and cute deer, but are far more relevant to today’s problems. In films like this they are starting to take a leadership role in forming or influencing kids’ opinions.

In spite of this, it’s a good rollicking adventure with a dark message and it’s the sort of film that Disney does very well. Give it a try. You and the kids will all enjoy it.

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This review will appear in Volume 2 No.5 (2009) of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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