Race to Witch Mountain

As part of the awesomeness of The Hunger Games, which became my most viewed entry (thanks to people all over the world), I decided to watch previous films of the stars of Hunger Games. I was supposed to start it off with Winter's Bone, the independent film that showcased the brilliance of Jennifer Lawrence. However, things didn't go as planned (it's a long story) and I decided to start with a movie that stars one of the other tributes, and lead villain, Race to With Mountain starring Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig, who played Cato in The Hunger Games.

I found the title weird, only because I didn't feel like it was a race to Witch Mountain. I got the idea but the title didn't quite match the story, or at least how they got to Witch Mountain. There were also scenes that were anti-climactic. But these were very little and does not affect the entertainment value of the movie as a whole.

I felt mixed reactions on the film. Majority of it was really good, with some parts that didn't sit too well with me (mostly because of preferences). As a whole the movie was entertaining, without a doubt. I had a smile on my face the entire movie. It's funny, witty, engaging, exciting, everything a kid's adventure film should be. It had the perfect mixture of a definite storyline, great cinematography, and a talented group of actors.

Anna Sophia Robb was a delight! Sweet and innocent, yet feisty. She's a really great actress. Part of the list I have is Bridge to Terabithia, a film that starred AnnaSophia and Josh Hutcherson, who played Peeta in The Hunger Games. Now, more than seeing a THG star in his previous work, I'm more excited to see AnnaSophia tackle another character. I think she's one of those actresses who can really embody the character's persona (she played an alien in Race to Witch Mountain!!) She's charming, but she also has the talent to back her up.

Had I not known that Alexander Ludwig was one of the leads, I wouldn't have recognized him. It wasn't just his appearance but also his acting performance, his register to the camera, his delivery of his lines. He has definitely evolved, which is saying a lot since he was already that good in Race to Witch Mountain. It is good to see a great actor improve and be even better as seen in his performance in his latest project.

I wish Carla Gugino had more screen time. She was amazing and pretty badass too. But whatever time she had in the movie, she made sure the audience noticed.

Dwayne Johnson looked awkward in some parts of the film. Other than that, he was good. The action scenes were well suited for a person like him who came from a wrestling background. He is a bankable actor too. I found out that his movies, well, most of them, earned significant sums of money. There were only a couple that didn't quite make a hit. Race to Witch Mountain did well in the box office, as it should since it really was a very entertaining movie.

I remember wanting to watch the movie when it came out back in 2009, but didn't get the chance to because I was a little kid with limited money. I sort of regret not seeing it on the big screen only because I believe I would appreciate the effects and scenes a lot better. Having said that, I had a great experience watching this movie.