MOVIE REVIEWS

The 2009 remake does a better job at bringing its story to life, but 1975's <em>'Escape to Witch Mountain'</em> is still a good film. The cast are all fine in their respective roles, even if none of them particularly standout. Eddie Albert (Jason), Kim Richards (Tia) and Ike Eisenmann (Tony) are satisfactory, as is Donald Pleasence as Deranian. With that said, I think Pleasence should've been the main villain here - there's really not much need for Ray Milland (Aristotle). Disney had a knack of doing that sorta thing in these early eras, having a bad guy and a bad guy's sidekick - most of the time, just one would suffice. The pace of the film isn't perfect, but the premise itself is intriguing enough to keep it chugging along at a suitable rate. More action-packed events would've been greater, especially as the opening titles seem to suggest that that may be on the horizon. That wasn't the case, yet I still had a decent time with this.

I'd have to admit I was never the greatest fan of these Disney films from the 1970s at the time. They were always just a bit too goody-goody for me. This one, however, pitches two of the best actors ever to play baddies - Ray Milland and Donald Pleasence together in a fun little sci-fi adventure. Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann are two young kids with mysterious superpowers being chased by a nasty the millionaire and his sidekicks who want to harness their magical skills. They escape into the friendly arms/camper van of Eddie Albert and try to stay one step ahead of their pursuers as they head to what they think is their home on "Witch Mountain". It is a gentle family drama with some jolly performances from the three adult stars and some simple, but effective, special effects that make for a (slightly too long) excuse to reminisce.