Return from Witch Mountain

This is a fine sequel to one of Walt Disney's better family projects Escape from Witch Mountain. The adult stars are Bette Davis and Christopher Lee as an old dowager financing a mad scientist in some nefarious experiments.

These two happen on the alien kids from Witch Mountain, Kim Richards and Ike Eisenman, when the kids are on holiday to Earth once again. They kidnap Ike after seeing an example of his powers of levitation and seek to use him and fit him with a mind control device that Lee's been perfecting.

Lee's dreaming some big dreams and Davis has some more mundane schemes like a trip to some gambling house or racetrack. Both of them looking like they are having one grand old time hamming it up for the cameras.

Of course the film wouldn't work at all if it were not for the winning personalities of Richards and Eisenman. Both come across as real kids, not sure of the extent of their own powers rather than Hollywood juvenile actors.

The whole of the film is Richards pursuing and trying to rescue her brother and in the process she recruits a gang of juveniles escaping from a truant officer played by the ever deadpan funny Jack Soo. Eventually Soo joins forces with the kids and proves of some help.

Both Escape to Witch Mountain and this sequel are fine family entertainment, some of the best that Disney studio produced.

When I heard that there was a sequel to the charming 1975 film, I was a little worried. But after seeing it, I enjoyed the film. The effects are outdated, the plot is nothing particularly special and the script has some weak spots. But it is definitely worth watching, as the film skips along nicely, is well directed and there are some humorous scenes with the juvenile group. Not to mention the lively car chase. But the acting is the best asset of this film. Jack Soo is hilarious in his supporting role and Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann reprise their roles and very well might I add. Christopher Lee is a finely sinister lead villain, but it is the legendary Bette Davis's picture all the way, as the actress brings a touch of colour into a film that could have easily been bland, and with that colour it made the film worth watching. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Disney's sequel to 1975's "Escape From Witch Mountain" scuttles all interest in its teen characters, Tony and Tia (the returning Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards), for the sake of jazzier special effects. The kids return to Earth from outer space, where Tony is kidnapped by villains Bette Davis and Christopher Lee (and their henchman, Anthony James, who earlier played a chauffeur in "Burnt Offerings"). Terrific cast, well-enough made, but the movie loses sight of what was so special about the first film: a kids' flick with the emphasis on character, not outlandish effects. Davis is alert and anxious, but she's practically smothered under her gaudy make-up job; Christopher Lee unceremoniously blends into the background without much of a character to play (it's easy to forget he's even in the picture). The plotting gets too heavy, what with Los Angeles about to be decimated and delinquent children running amok, but the worst decision was to separate the siblings for much of the movie. Jack Soo does nice work in a supporting bit, and there's also a goat who nearly saves the day. *1/2 from ****

It's not perfect, and the wardrobe makes me shudder (Tia's poor clothing she never changes the entire movie!), but it's a nice Disney movie with some rather humorous parts. Eddie is particularly funny talking to the goat Alfred. Being a Tony and Tia fan, I thought this movie wonderful as a kid. As an adult, I see it as good "fodder" in the world of Spiderman, Hulk and the rest of the movies that have words that I have to remind my son not to repeat. Movie-makers seem to have forgotten the word "family".

The two siblings are deposited on the 50 yard line of the Rose Bowl 3 mos. before the next game, and escorted to the hotel by Eddie the Cabbie who drives more like a New York Cabbie. After Tony "visions" a man falling off a building (Davis' Letha's nephew, Sickle), he takes advantage of the cab's running out of gas to go help. As things do in the movies, the rescue wasn't as easy as he thought, and the good Doctor saw a golden opportunity to take control of molecular manipulation by enslaving Tony with his mind control device. Tia after feeling the prick of the hypodermic, goes to find him, and the chase is on with Tony vs. Tia the rest of the movie. The minivan is my favorite portion of the whole movie. *** out of 5 stars.

Sir Christopher Lee as the mad scientist and Bette Davis as Cletha play the mad scientist and his business partner in a plot to take over the world and make money. Anthony James plays Sickle, Cletha's nephew and only living relative. One day, they go searching for a perfect location and end up with gold. Sickle has the mad doctor's commands in his ear and he hurts him if he doesn't do exactly what he wants like climbing to the roof of a building in a deserted Los Angeles area. He's about to fall but is saved by Tony, a boy with special abilities. Tony and his sister, Tia, were headed to return home but their cab ran out of gas. The cab driver goes to get gas. Tony sensing trouble tries to stop and saves Sickle's life. Unfortunately, Tony is tagged and taken away. They have other plans for him. It's not a bad film and the special effects are way outdated but the acting isn't bad and the cast does make it worth watching.