DVD Review: Race to Witch Mountain Blu-ray Combo Pack

By Kevin Coll • August 7, 2009 • 1 Comment

I have written this in most of my dvd reviews for Disney films but they are the best at packaging a product and with Race to Witch Mountain there is no exception. Again we are graced with the 3 Disc Blu-ray Combo pack that gives us the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy – all in one. Now some may wonder why? Well its Disney giving people the option to by the Blu-ray even if they do not have one in the hopes it will spur a buy of the player later on. Devious capitalism, I know, but brilliant marketing none the less, I am sure Blu-ray player manufacturers do not mind. That being said the other benefit with the combo pack is that you have a friend that doesn’t have a Blu-ray you can loan him the DVD version of the film while still having the Blu-ray format to enjoy for yourself. Lastly, the digital copy allows for you to put it on your iPhone or ITouch and take a trip but still being able to watch your favorite films.

So now that I have readdressed the amazing marketing model Disney has put together on their Blu-rays, Race to Witch Mountain is the latest home release for them. Race to Witch Mountain was a solid film, not great but very entertaining and fun for the whole family. Having seen the original films recently I can tell you they are boring and difficult to get through even for someone who grew up watching them. The new Race to Witch Mountain featured high speed chases, explosions, witty humor and solid performances from its cast, featuring Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig and Ciarán Hinds. The reimagining as mentioned was a lot more fun than its predecessors and was met with good Box Office results.

The basic premise remains the same, 2 children appear to have special abilities. They are drawn to a mysterious place in the desert known as Witch Mountain. When they meet a stranger in the form of cab driver Jack Bruno, they seek his help to return them to their spaceship in order to return to their home planet. In this version the chase is far more epic featuring government agents hot on the trail not to mention an alien bounty hunter that will destroy anything in its path to get to the children.

Ultimately the movie is a mindless entertaining film with flawed storytelling that covers itself with the action of something like Transformers. The blu-ray pack is definitely worth the buy in my opinion because it works as one your can travel with, kids can watch in the car, adults will enjoy, etc.

This three-disc Bluray combo pack comes packed in the typical blue case with a glassy slipcover. The extras were surprisingly thin considering the success of the film.

1. Deleted Scenes - A surprisingly meaty collection of deleted bits with an intro from the director. Some of these scenes are actually pretty good. Others are rightfully cut.
2. Blooper Reel - Not the best collection of goofs and gaffes, but amusing in spots.
3. DVD Copy/Digital Copy - Disc two contains a DVD copy of the film. Disc three contains a digital copy of the film.
4. Featurette: “Which Mountain?” - A relatively quick featurette about the references to the previous “Witch Mountain” features, “Escape to Witch Mountain” and “Return to Witch Mountain.” Frankly, I would have preferred a pop-up trivia track to this featurette.

Race to Witch Mountain is not anything like the originals but takes the story and puts into ttodays fashion of film fair playing more like Transformers than a full-bodied re-imagining. Fans are likely to be underwhelmed whereas newcomers might find some value in the disconnected mess. The Blu-ray is solid, but extras are severely lacking. Still, this release is the best way to experience the film on home video.

Total Score – Buy (You know your kids will love it)

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