The classic Walt Disney sci-fi film “RETURN FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN” (1978) is released on DVD to support celebrate the theatrical release of “Hurry TO WITCH MOUNTAIN” (the third `WITCH MOUNTAIN’ film which can be considered a current storyline or a re-imagining of the first film) .
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“RETURN FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN” is the long awaited sequel to “Sprint TO WITCH MOUNTAIN” (1975) and continue to be a family sci-fi film to spend the latest special effects at that time and bring serve approved British director John Hough and current teen talents Ike Iesenmann and Kim Richards to reprise their role as the alien human brother and sister team who have supernatural abilities.
“RETURN FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN” focuses on the return of Tony and Tia to the planet Earth. The two haven’t been attend in several years, so they salvage the opportunity to have some rest and relaxation.
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Meanwhile, a excited scientist named Victor (Christopher Lee) and Letha (Bette Davis) talk about how they should be making money. Letha was once a very rich woman but funded Victor’s laboratory in order manipulate people and control them. Victor decides to save Letha’s nephew Sickle (Anthony James) to a test by using a remote control way in which Victor talks on it and the person will follow his instructions. His first instruction is to have Sickle climb up a spacious building and travel on the rooftop ledge and seeing how the remote control intention is actually working on him.
Meanwhile, as Tony and Tia are being driven in their cab, the cab loses fuel prompting the taxi cab driver to derive gas. While left alone, Tia’s premonitions begin kicking in to elephantine gear as she senses a man who will drop to his death from falling from a building.
Knowing that they one would have to wait for the driver, Tony goes to win this man and warn him. Sickle ends up falling from the rooftop but before he can go splat on the pavement, Tony uses his supernatural abilities to have him suspended in air and eventually assist him down.
Victor sees that Tony is quite special and thus Victor and Letha inject John with a tranquilizer and kidnaps him.
Tia is afraid that she has lost contact with Tony and goes to spy for him. She ends up losing him and while trying to gape around the station, she sees four kids being chased by a bunch of thugs. She eventually uses her power to set the four kids named Dazzler (Christian Juttner), Muscles (Brad Savage), Crusher (Poindexter Yothers) and Rocky (Jeffrey Jacquet) .
The four are trying to be tough kids who want to initiate their gain gang but also mask from their truant officer Mr. Yokomoto (Jack Soo) who wants them help at school.
With no spot to go and not shining the Los Angeles station, the kids resolve to relieve Tia. Meanwhile, Tony has been thoroughly brainwashed by Victor and is now being controlled by him by the remote design.
With Tony revealing his power to the terrible guys, now they want to exploit his power to give them leverage and possibly befriend them take anything from gold to possible plutonium.
Meanwhile, Tia tries to search for her brother everywhere and when she does gather him, she is pitted against her brother in a battle of their clean powers. Will she be able to do her brother from being a pawn of Victor and Letha?
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“RETURN FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN” includes several special features. Many which were included in the 2003 DVD release but there is one special feature that is unusual to the 2009 DVD release. Included are:
* ALL Recent Pop-Up Fun Facts – For those who want to examine the film with fun facts popping up on the bottom of the conceal.
* Making the Return Roam – A gorgeous lengthy featurette with interviews with director John Hough, Ike Eisenmann, Kim Richards and the other children from the film. The discussion was how they all came together again, the popularity of the first film and how Ike and Kim, unlike the first film where they worked closely together, this time they didn’t. But what is most spicy was to hear how the guys had a crush on Kim Richards.
* The Gang’s Encourage in Town – A reunion of the gang Christian Juttner (Dazzler), Brad Savage (Muscles) and Poindexter Yothers (Crusher) who talk about having fun on the area, having a crush on Kim Richards and how the film was one of the best experiences of their lives.
* Disney Kids with Powers – A short music video of various clips of children in Disney films that have powers.
* “The Eyes Have It” – An engrossing short featuring Donald Duck and Pluto, as Donald learns hypnotism and his test subject is Pluto.
* Lost Treasure: Christopher Lee: The Lost Interview – An interview with Christopher Lee done succor in 1978 with a Spanish television network. Lee talks about working on the film and his experience for a Disney film. Subtitled in English.
* 1978 Disney Studio Album – A short musical featurette featuring stills from all films that were shown in 1978.
* Audio Commentary – Commentary by John Hough, Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards.
JUDGMENT CALL:
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by “RETURN FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN”. Mainly because you have legendary actress Betty Davis and Christopher Lee (known for his work in the past with the Vampire and Fu Manchu films and presently with his work as Count Dooku in the “Star Wars” films) . But it was mammoth to study them out of their typical film element and playing a silly duo, Letha obsessed with money and Victor obsessed with the power and prestige he can earn from utilizing Tony for his bear hooked means.
But many people wanted a sequel and this time, the series would managed to remove an action film with an a accelerate scene and even more special features than the first film. Definitely something you wouldn’t imagine seeing in a family film but John Hough wanted to fabricate distinct the film was different from the first and if he could, perform it even better.
One thing that I liked was that both Tony and Tina are nearly at the same level in their powers. In the first film, it seemed like the only plan Tony could exercise his powers was playing a harmonica. But joyful they didn’t do that for this film.
I enjoyed the first film for its cat and mouse type of storyline, it was a pure film that is fun for the family and kids. With “RETURN FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN”, because more special effects were mature and more action scenes, it was bright to look both Tony and Tia separated but most of all, watching them go against each other utilizing their supernatural abilities.
Speaking of special effects, the first film utilized a cat and a gain. “RETURN FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN” utilized Albert the goat and it’s wonderful how trainers were able to find a goat to prance through the middle on top of several cars. Very impressive.
Now, for those who gain the 2003 DVD release of “RETURN TO WITCH MOUNTAIN”, you may not need this DVD because there really is no major addition in terms of special features but for those who are looking forward to watching Dwayne Johnson in “Speed TO WITCH MOUNTAIN” in 2009 and have never watched the unique films or its been too long since you have last seen it, then definitely lift up both classic Witch Mountain films. They’re both fun and savory in their beget separate arrangement.
As for “Run TO WITCH MOUNTAIN”, both “Elope TO WITCH MOUNTAIN” and “RETURN FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN” both approach with a free stamp coupon (attached to the slipcase mask) to download a certificate (heed) in order to witness the latest film at a participating theater for free.
Overall, “RETURN TO WITCH MOUNTAIN” is a fun and palatable film and despite being nearly 35 years traditional, it’s a film that families can notice with their children now and peaceful be entertained.
Definitely a Disney classic worth having in your DVD library.
This is the 1978 sequel to Disney’s 1975 science-fiction-adventure movie, Rush to Witch Mountain Special Edition. In the first movie, we met Tony and Tia Malone, two orphans with amazing abilities, like telepathy and telekinesis. It turned out that the siblings were aliens, whose spaceship had crashed, but they are reunited, by the slay of the movie, with their uncle.
In the sequel, Tony and Tia are brought to Pasadena so that they can catch a chance to peep how people live on Earth. This goes badly sparkling fleet, thanks to an faulty scientist, who is experimenting with a mind control diagram when he sees Tony make one of his improbable acts, and decides he can became even more illustrious if he can control Tony’s mind. The bad scientist’s wealthy patroness sees Tony as a potential goldmine.
Meanwhile, Tia loses contact with Tony, visually and telepathically, and tries to gain him. She is helped by a street-gang of boys who are nice but not nearly as tough and mean as they want people to hold they are. She does not procure noteworthy success and ends up pitted against her mind-controlled brother. Along the blueprint, a big-hearted but inept truancy officer and a goat manage to assist the alien siblings survive and try to win each other.
The first Witch Mountain movie featured fascinating child actors, an though-provoking premise, and some action, but obsolete dialogue and unimpressive special effects. Three years later, after the world had seen the startling spectacle of the first Star Wars movie, the sequel not only showed no improvement, but I seek it as a weaker movie than its predecessor. Why?
In the first film, Kim Richards (as Tia) and Ike Eisenmann (as Tony) sounded like they were reading lines read by someone who had never spoken with a child. In the sequel, Ike Eisenmann fares somewhat better, sounding a bit more natural, but Kim Richards has line after line of “Who the heck wrote that?!” lines. The gang of boys who assist her also work off a bad script, although Christian Juttner (as Dazzler) manages to overcome his lines to advance off okay.
To accompany the child-actors, we have a trio of villains, with two of the roles played by accomplished actors. Christopher Lee portrays Victor, the sinful scientist crooked on academic fame and glory through ruthless research. Bette Davis portrays Letha, Victor’s not-very-bright but very greedy patroness, out to salvage rich on Victor’s research, at the expense of Tony. Both Mr. Lee and Ms. Davis are given lines to lisp that are exactly what you would question their characters to say. Anthony James, Letha’s nephew and Victor’s inept flunkie.
Given the level reached by special effects when this movie was made, the effects in Return From Witch Mountain are disappointing. In the bonus features, they elaborate how they mature strings and cranes to do the telekinesis and levitation effects. While you do not peek any of the strings or cranes, I consider that it is determined that process in enact included them. The levitation in no contrivance resembles flight or any natural movement. The levitation effects in the Harry Potter films were definitely better.
The film also has a credibility insist at times. Suspending disbelief regarding aliens with paranormal abilities is one thing, but it is another thing altogether to ask that a flying saucer could waft in and out of the Rose Bowl, twice, with no one seeing it. And, there is a scene, early in the movie, where Tony displays his telekinetic powers on a public street, and there is no one around, except the two villains, to peep the act. Plus, no one is there to scrutinize a child being abducted, in immense daylight?
With the sequel, we again have appealing child actors in a movie with an intriguing premise — two alien children with paranormal abilities trying to experience everyday life on Earth — and plenty of action. However, we again also have a script with stilted dialogue for all of the children, or sub-par special effects. This movie objective doesn’t work for me.
Oh, except for Alfred the goat! Alfred does his every scene very smoothly, and gives the most credible performance in the movie.
I received this movie, free from Disney, in exchange for an impartial review.
– Chris McCallister, author of Coming Tubby Circle
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