He's Still the Rock to me....

In two weeks I plan on making a trip to Springfield, MO to see my first 3D movie; Dreamworks’ Monsters Vs. Aliens. While not all theaters currently support this 3D technology (and currently none in the Wichita area), they are quickly becoming a staple for new mutli-plexes going up across the country. Call me a purist, but I still question whether this new wave of filmmaking will more often than not enhance one’s movie-going experience. But all of that changed for me yesterday after seeing Disney’s new live-action adventure film Race to Witch Mountain.

Let me be clear in saying that Witch Mountain is not a 3D movie. But the cynic in me must have been taking a Sunday afternoon nap, because about half way through the movie I caught myself wishing that it was. What I am saying is that sometimes a good old fashion gimmick is the only thing that could save a movie like this.

The story revolves around a Vegas cab-driver named Jack Bruno. Bruno is played by Dwayne Johnson a.k.a. The Rock. Jack has a rough past driving for a Las Vegas mob boss but cleans up his life after spending some time in prison. His life collides with two young children who show up in the back of his cab one morning demanding to be driven to the outskirts of the desert. We quickly learn that these children are not from planet Earth, judging by the A.I. style of vocabulary they use. Soon Jack finds himself in the middle of a plot to help these two young children make it back to their home planet. They are soon assisted by an expert in the field of UFOs who just happens to be giving a lecture at the UFO convention in Las Vegas. Add to the mix a group of secret agents hot on the gang’s tail, and you’ve got the plot for a somewhat fun but mostly flat family adventure movie.

The film does have its share of special effects. Boasting gelatinous goo, a robot assassin tracking the good guys down, and plenty of flashing lights and hovering crafts. The eye candy is kept to a minimum though since the plot is driven mostly by the two childrens’ ability to do extraordinary things while still managing to look quite ordinary.

This is a film that at times is really fun. The child actors are quite talented, and Dwayne Johnson proves to be someone you wouldn’t mind letting your kids hang out with for a couple hours. On the whole this thing feels rushed, a little bit thrown together, and sad to say, lacking an element really worth going to see it. I might get my wish for such an element when I finally see a 3D movie in a couple weeks, although the cynic in me might be fully awake by that time…

2.5/5