Race to Witch Mountain

What’s it about:

When a Las Vegas cab driver Jack Bruno (Dwayne Johnson) is offered $15 000 to drive siblings Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) and Seth (Alexander Ludwig), he is thrust into the middle of a supernatural mystery. With the help of UFO expert Dr. Alex Friedman (Carla Gugino), they set out to protect the two paranormally gifted teenagers from the clutches of an organisation intent on exploiting kids for their nefarious plans.


What we thought about it:

Created by the Disney machine, this movie is like a feast of pancakes and ice-cream - tastes divine but it can give you brain freeze after a while. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's curiously sexy cab driver (if you like that look, of course) is down on his luck and happens to have alien passengers on a planet-saving mission. And if that wasn’t random enough,  there is a UFO convention in town on the same day. 

From the beginning you realise that Sara and Seth are on earth for a purpose, and the sibling bond they share would melt even the iciest heart. Because of Sara’s very distinctive looks and body language, youngster AnnaSophia Robb displays the same panache she had in Charlie and Chocolate Factory, but thankfully, less annoying. Alexander Ludwig completes this teen hero team as Seth, and he fulfills his "big brother" role very well, not taking crap from anyone, least of all Bruno. 

Throw in lots of action (The Rock style) and his particularly dry sense of humour, and you have a movie made for the entire family. No deep thinking required.

Like his action roles in The Rundown and The Game Plan, The Rock has confirmed his movie star status. There's definitely a heart of gold beneath those rippling muscles. 

While Race to Witch Mountain is certainly no Harry Potter or The Chronicles of Narnia, it  nonetheless makes for great family viewing. This should keep the kids happily occupied for a couple of hours during the Easter holidays.