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RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAINMovie Reviews
Family film about two children with psychic abilities whose search for their origins gets them caught up in an adventure with a cab driver and a UFO specialist. Cast:Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Carla Gugino, Alexander Ludwig, Ciarán Hinds, Garry MarshallDirector:Andy FickmanRelease Date:March 13, 2009DVD Release:August 4, 2009From:Walt Disney PicturesRating:PGLength:1 hr 38 min
Race to Witch Mountain played to moderate reviews. • Colin Covert wrote in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "...remains true to its roots as a light, fun B movie, with amped-up effects for today's jaded youngsters..." • And Calvin Wilson wrote in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "...doesn't quite make it into orbit. But this fast-moving fantasy proves that there's still intelligent life in family films." More Reviews Below...
Race to Witch Mountain Positive Reviews (34 Reviews, reviews below)
Clark Collis, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson plays a lonely taxi driver.... it is the high-wattage lovability of Mr Rock that's the real superpower on display here."(See all of Clark Collis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 120 words, 03/13/09
Claudia Puig, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "...for a movie that undoubtedly is meant to fascinate kids, 'Race' seems to focus more on adults than teens... mediocre family fare that's simply not that much fun."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 436 words, 03/13/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...modest and diverting, rough and bland, with some good (if not quite Bette Davis caliber) actors and so-so special effects."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 658 words, 03/13/09
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The eternally charismatic Johnson, whom you may still know as The Rock, is always entertaining to watch, and he has nice chemistry with his young co-stars."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 415 words, 03/13/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Johnson rules over chases, fights, explosions and an Ooze Monster, yet never seems nasty, so the kids can feel safe around him."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 598 words, 03/12/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "Director Andy Fickman and screenwriters Matt Lopez and Mark Bomback know Johnson's strengths and, well, limitations and play to them here."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 901 words, 03/13/09
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...may well snag some of Disney's lucrative 'National Treasure' audience. Benign yet assaultive PG mayhem -- it's a neat trick, if you can pull it off."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 588 words, 03/13/09
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE(cg) "Riddled with logical black holes that even a 7-year-old could spot... has little respect for its audience and no concern at all for entertainment-starved parents."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 341 words, 03/13/09
Stephen Cole, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "Chasing extraterrestrials at a Vegas UFO convention is an irresistible comic premise that, except for an antic cameo by a conspiracy crackpot, isn't properly exploited."(See all of Stephen Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 543 words, 03/13/09
Ernest Hardy, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "Cracking one-liners and alternating between world-weariness and growing affection for his charges, Johnson is wonderful -- much better than his material."(See all of Ernest Hardy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 238 words, 03/11/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...does a terrible disservice to Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino, the adults trying to anchor the thing.... the whole movie feels sloppy."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 457 words, 03/12/09
KEY CITIES (14 Reviews)
Jan Stuart, Washington Post: EXCELLENT(cg) "Johnson is that rare sports-world emigre to the big screen: beefcake with an unerring instinct for the absurd... He is a sly delight..."(See all of Jan Stuart's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 527 words, 03/13/09
Justin Berton, San Francisco Chronicle: POOR(cg) "Wow, when Disney misses the 'reimagining' mark, it really misses.... Even young viewers may complain of a lack of suspense."(See all of Justin Berton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 392 words, 03/13/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...remains true to its roots as a light, fun B movie, with amped-up effects for today's jaded youngsters and a fluffy romantic subplot for their guardians."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 520 words, 03/13/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: MODERATE(cg) "Given enough popcorn, kids should find it diverting; adults may be less than enthralled.... the movie's central problem: Nobody here has a personality."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 536 words, 03/13/09
Julie E. Washington, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: FAIR(cg) "There's quite a bit of violence, mostly explosions and Johnson bashing noses. No doubt the filmmakers felt some jolts were needed to hold our attention."(See all of Julie E. Washington's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 338 words, 03/13/09
Mike Russell, Portland Oregonian: MODERATE(cg) "The Rock charms... but the effects are cheap, the dialogue is about as challenging as a 'Hannah Montana' episode, and the pace manages to be both brisk and numbing."(See all of Mike Russell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 209 words, 03/13/09
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...doesn't quite make it into orbit. But this fast-moving fantasy proves that there's still intelligent life in family films."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 308 words, 03/13/09
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the first kids' film in ages to have action beats that measure up to Hollywood's grownup action fare... still gives Johnson time to showcase his wry screen presence."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 515 words, 03/13/09
Carla Meyer, Sacramento Bee: MODERATE(cg) "...seems like it might have it all before it seems like it has too much... The nonstop action of 'Witch Mountain' becomes wearisome and then overwhelming..."(See all of Carla Meyer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 651 words, 03/13/09
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: MODERATE(cg) "The film is so by-the-book (and we don't mean Key's 1968 novel) that it's hard to recount it without reverting to blahblahblah."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 334 words, 03/13/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Ernest Hardy, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "Cracking one-liners and alternating between world-weariness and growing affection for his charges, Johnson is wonderful -- much better than his material."(See all of Ernest Hardy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 238 words, 03/11/09
Tom Meek, Boston Phoenix: MODERATE(cg) "Johnson holds his own against the cute wunderkinder, but nobody's a match for the f/x onslaught of the noisy climax."(See all of Tom Meek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 151 words, 03/12/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...does a terrible disservice to Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino, the adults trying to anchor the thing.... the whole movie feels sloppy."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 457 words, 03/12/09
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: MODERATE "...funny, intriguing, exciting, and even a little scary... until about midway through, by which point 'Witch Mountain' has become less of a race than a slog."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 372 words, 03/12/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...modest and diverting, rough and bland, with some good (if not quite Bette Davis caliber) actors and so-so special effects."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 658 words, 03/13/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: MODERATE "...the updates are like those you install to keep your computer's operating system current. Everything's a familiar plug-in from contemporary pop culture... banal."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 290 words, 03/13/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "Director Andy Fickman and screenwriters Matt Lopez and Mark Bomback know Johnson's strengths and, well, limitations and play to them here."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 901 words, 03/13/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Joe Leydon, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "There's something for almost every demo here... and the entire package is impressively propelled by the star-powered, likably comic-macho perf by Dwayne Johnson."(See all of Joe Leydon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 840 words, 03/12/09
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: EXCELLENT "The movie holds up thanks to intelligent direction, solid stunts and a lively sense of fun. Who cares if it doesn't always make sense?"(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 710 words, 03/12/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "Director Andy Fickman and screenwriters Matt Lopez and Mark Bomback know Johnson's strengths and, well, limitations and play to them here."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 901 words, 03/13/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...modest and diverting, rough and bland, with some good (if not quite Bette Davis caliber) actors and so-so special effects."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 658 words, 03/13/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: MODERATE "...the updates are like those you install to keep your computer's operating system current. Everything's a familiar plug-in from contemporary pop culture... banal."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 290 words, 03/13/09
18.5 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Race to Witch Mountain's reviews are separated by an average 18.5 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Race to Witch Mountain (34 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Race to Witch Mountain's reviews cover 46.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 16,025 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 471 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 3.0 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Race to Witch Mountain's reviews on average broke 3.0 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Race to Witch Mountain's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Race to Witch Mountain (34 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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