Toon Talk: The Other Side of the Witch Mountain

As Disney remakes go, Race to Witch Mountain is no Flubber. What it is is aptly titled, as the action rarely stops in this fast-paced junior sci-fi romp. From its old school opening credits to its “let’s set up a sequel” conclusion, director Andy Fickman (The Game Plan) keeps the momentum going, lest you have a chance to scrutinize the plot too closely. The result is a whiz-bang throwback to the gee-whiz science fiction flicks of the pre-Star Wars 70’s, a perfectly timed spring break distraction for the PG-crowd too young to get in to Watchmen.

With a script by Matt Lopez and Mark Bomback (based, as was the original Escape to Witch Mountain, on the novel by Alexander Key), Race to Witch Mountain updates the familiar story to the present day and, cleverly, sets it in Las Vegas, where such set pieces as a UFO convention and the Area 51-ish title structure are naturally close at hand. Dwayne Johnson (the artist formerly known as “The Rock” and most recently known as “The Rock Obama”) plays Jack Bruno, a burly ex-con-turned-Sin City cab driver whose latest fare — a pair of tow-headed teens named Seth and Sara (The Seeker: The Dark is Rising’s Alexander Ludwig and Bridge to Terabithia’s AnnaSophia Robb) — drag him into the adventure of his life.


Following in the monotone footsteps of the original’s Tony and Tia, Seth and Sara are unlike any kids on Earth … fittingly, as they are actually from outer space. Empowered with X-Men-ish abilities like phasing, telekinesis and telepathy, the extra-terrestrial siblings have been sent to our planet by their unseen parents to retrieve crucial data that will save their world, as well as prevent ours from being destroyed by a nasty alien threat.

Seth and Sara’s mission is jeopardized on two fronts this go round; not only must they contend with a Terminator-like predator (or is that Predator-like terminator?) sent by their own planet’s corrupt military to stop them at whatever cost, they also must retrieve their crash-landed spaceship from the so-called Witch Mountain. Depicted as a craggy monolith in the Nevada desert, the titular peak hides a secret US government base where a squadron of Men in Black types have taken the psi-kids’ downed flying saucer. Needless to say, they are eager to get their hands (and scientific research equipment) on the ship’s crew as well ...

UPDATE: Race to Witch Mountain is now available on DVD and Blu-rayfrom Amazon.com.

Click here to continue reading my Toon Talk review of Race to Witch Mountain at LaughingPlace.com.

Natasha Richardson: 1963-2009

Tragic news to report: Natasha Richardson passed away today following injuries she received in a skiing accident this past Monday in Canada. She was 45 years old, and is survived by her husband Liam Neeson and their two sons, mother Vanessa Redgrave, sister Joely Richardson, aunt Lynn Redgrave and uncle Corin Redgrave.

Richardson made her film debut at age four in The Charge of the Light Brigade, directed by her father Tony Richardson. Her breakthrough roles were as Frankenstein author Mary Shelley in Gothic and as the notorious Patty Hearst, and her other notable screen performances include the films The Handmaid's Tale, The Comfort of Strangers, Nell (co-starring Neeson), The Parent Trap, Maid in Manhattan, The White Countess and Evening (co-starring her mother).

However, Richardson's greatest acclaim came from her work on the stage, including a Tony Award for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in the acclaimed 1998 Broadway revival of Cabaret; she had previously been nominated for her Anna Christie, and also received raves as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Following her father's death from AIDS complications in 1991, Richardson helped raise millions of dollars in the fight against the disease through the charity amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

Women We Love: Betty White

This is the second in a four-part Women We Love salute to The Golden Girls, now airing daily on the Hallmark Channel:

Object of our affection: Betty White, actress.

- Originally a model, she received her first Emmy nomination for her first sitcom, Life with Elizabeth. Also early in her career, she had her own talk show and co-starred as a US Senator in the film Advise & Consent.

- Known as the "First Lady of Game Shows", she has made many appearances on such popular puzzle programs as Password (hosted by her husband Allen Ludden), To Tell the Truth and Match Game. She was also the first woman to win a Daytime Emmy Award for hosting a game show with Just Men!

- Prior to that, she won two Primetime Emmys for her memorable performance of the man-chasing Sue Ann Nivens (a.k.a. The Happy Homemaker) on the classic Mary Tyler Moore Show. Following the end of MTM, she had her own self-titled sitcom and also co-starred on Mama's Family.

- However, her most famous role is as the ditzy but lovable St. Olaf native Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls, which won her another Emmy out of a total of seven nominations (the only lead Girl to be so recognized every year the series was aired). She won yet another Emmy for guest starring on The John Larroquette Show, as well as similar nominations for Suddenly Susan, Yes, Dear and The Practice.

- She reprised her role of Rose in the short-lived spin-off The Golden Palace, and has since had regular or recurring roles on such series as That 70's Show, The Bold and the Beautiful and Boston Legal, as well as memorable guest spots on Ugly Betty and other shows. Her film appearances have also included Lake Placid, The Story of Us, Bringing Down the House and the upcoming The Proposal.

Reverend’s Reviews: Tokyo a-Go-Go

A family with a talented, potentially gay son is the focus of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Tokyo Sonata (now playing in NYC and opening March 27 in LA). Not to be confused with the current Tokyo!, this is the winner of the Jury Prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. It is a drama with quirky comedic touches set in Japan’s largest city.

The film stars Teruyuki Kagawa (who is also in Tokyo!) as the suddenly unemployed head of the increasingly fragmented, contemporary Sasaki family. Unable to admit the loss of his job to his wife and two sons, he goes through the motions of dressing for work each day, only to spend his time at a local park populated by homeless people and other professionally-attired but jobless men.


The Sasakis’ youngest son, Kenji (Kai Inowaki), is a musical prodigy whose father refuses to let him take piano lessons. Kenji secretly begins doing so anyway, paying for them with his school lunch money. In his rebelliousness and refusal to let his father or anyone else limit his potential, Kenji may strike GLBT viewers as a gay youth on the verge of coming out. He is also excessively protective of his male best friend, further piquing my suspicions.

Extremely well-directed by Kurosawa — who is perhaps best known in the US for his odd but haunting 2002 film, Bright Future — Tokyo Sonata is well worth seeing and, at its musical climax, hearing.

UPDATE: Tokyo Sonata is now available on DVD from Amazon.com.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.