RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
A heartfelt, fast-paced adventure worth the trip.
Should You Watch It?
If your family wants an exciting adventure with a clear moral center, this Disney remake delivers. It is well produced, directed and acted, with believable special effects, a tightly written screenplay, and action that keeps the story moving. The heartfelt relationships also matter: characters learn to trust and depend on one another, and some are willing to risk their lives for others.
The costs are limited but real. The film includes intense action sequences, car chases, brief brawls, a scary alien creature, and other peril. Its worldview also includes a positive reference to Buddha and his teaching, along with a scientific explanation of UFOs.
For older children and adults, this is an energetic, clean choice. For younger children, parents should use discernment because of the action violence.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAfter a spaceship crash-lands in Nevada, two alien teenagers with extraordinary abilities seek help from Jack Bruno, a reluctant, hardened taxicab driver. They must recover valuable research left by previous alien visitors and return to their dying planet.
Government agents, gangsters and an alien bounty hunter pursue them as they race to complete their mission. Along the way, an astrophysicist, a UFO specialist and a car mechanic help them try to save two worlds.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is a highly entertaining, polished family adventure. The special effects create believable action sequences, while the tightly crafted screenplay unfolds piece by piece without plot holes or unanswered questions.
The cast brings the characters to life, especially Alexander Ludwig and AnnaSophia Robb as the alien teenagers. Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Garry Marshall and Cheech Marin also contribute to an enjoyable ensemble. The film’s heartfelt moments, as the characters grow in trust and dependence, give the fast pace emotional weight.
The Worldview
The film presents a strong moral and biblical worldview with redemptive elements. Characters are willing to put their lives at risk for others, and the alien children refuse to save their planet at the expense of life on Earth. Their relationships grow as they learn to trust and depend on one another.
The movie also offers ideas that depart from a biblical worldview. One character says fate and luck do not determine their circumstances; instead, there is a predetermined order to the universe. The aliens’ special powers are explained through their ability to use their “full brain capacity.” The film makes this explanation into a joke involving the heroic earthling who helps them.
There is also a very positive reference to Buddha and his teaching, as well as a scientific rationalization of UFOs. Still, the central longing to save others rather than preserve oneself reflects a truth Scripture honors: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong moral and biblical worldview with redemptive elements where characters are willing to put their lives at risk for the sake of others and alien children with special powers will not save their own planet at the expense of life on Earth, plus one character says fate and luck have nothing to do with their circumstances but rather there is a predetermined order of how things work in the universe and aliens have special powers because they have learned to use their “full brain capacity,” which is made into a joke about the heroic earthling who helps them, and a very positive reference to Buddha and his teaching, and UFOs are discussed as scientific fact ; no obscenities or profanities; light action violence consisting of fist fights and brief brawls, high speed car chases, car crashes, men wield guns, spaceship shoots lasers at car, alien shoots laser guns at people, men fire guns but no one gets hurt, alien girl makes cars blow up but no one is in the cars, alien boy stops a suburban by standing in front of it while it crashes into him but he is not hurt, woman slaps man, alien children get shot with tranquilizers, man fights alien, alien dies by being thrown into the power source of the spaceship; no sexual content; no nudity; no alcohol use; no smoking or drug use; and, alien kids steal clothes and money in the beginning so they can get to where they need to go, bad alien has a scary face, people are dressed up in freakish costumes for the UFO Space Expo taking place during the movie, and people are gambling in the background of a couple scenes since the movie is, for the most part, shot is Las Vegas.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The characters depend on one another to complete their mission. What does healthy dependence look like in your family, and how can you become more trustworthy?
Proverbs 17:17 · Galatians 6:2Several characters are willing to risk their lives for others. What makes that kind of sacrifice meaningful?
John 15:13 · Philippians 2:3–4The alien children will not save their planet by destroying life on Earth. How should concern for our own needs be balanced with love for others?
Matthew 22:39 · Romans 12:10The film presents ideas about fate, the universe and extraordinary abilities. How does the Bible describe God’s authority over creation and our gifts?
Colossians 1:16–17 · James 1:17The Final Word
Race to Witch Mountain is a clean, exciting adventure with excellent production, strong performances and redemptive moral themes. Its intense action calls for parental discernment with younger children, but older children and adults can enjoy the journey. Our answer is clear: WORTH THE TRIP.
