Race To Witch Mountain **

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig, Carla Gugino, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Everett Scott, Chris Marquette, Billy Brown
Director: Andy Fickman
Running Length: 1:38
MPAA Classification: PG

Sara (Robb) and Seth (Ludwig) are alien children who have crashed to Earth. They enlist the help of Jack Bruno (Johnson), a cab driver. The kids have special talents: Sara can read minds and levitate items, Seth can shift matter. The government, led by Henry Burke (Hinds) is aware of their crash and is after them. Jack can only do so much for them, and soon he enlists the help of astrophysicist Alex Friedmen (Gugino). Soon, they are racing to their spaceship, hidden in Witch Mountain. Nut, getting out alive won’t be as easy as they think, especially with another alien hunting them down.

“Race to Witch Mountain” is a bit of a disappointment. Duane Johnson brings his trademark charm to the role of Jack, but that isn’t enough to save this film. The problem lies mainly in the script, which calls for the characters to do stupid things. Also, the childrens’ powers expand and contract when necessary to add drama. Given what these kids can do, they should have minimal difficulty finding their ship and getting off the Earth. Younger kids will probably enjoy the film, but adults may find it frustrating.

Watchmen **1/2

Cast: Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, Malin Akerman, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Carla Gugino, Matt Frewer, Robert Wisden
Director: Zack Snyder
Running Length: 2:43
MPAA Classification: R

In an alternate 1986, the US and Soviet Union are sliding towards war. The Comedian (Morgan), a member of a disbanded group of superheroes called the Watchmen, is brutally murdered; setting events in motion that will change the world. Rorschach (Haley), another member of the Watchmen, who happens to be a little unstable, sets out to find the killer. He seeks the assistance of the rest of the team, Dr. Manhattan (Crudup), Silk Spectre (Ackerman), Ozymandias (Goode), and Night Owl (Wilson), to find the killer and is met with mixed reactions. Still, he pushes onward, discovering a plan beyond his imagination .

“Watchmen” is based on the vastly popular graphic novel by Dave Gibbons and an uncredited Alan Moore. I have not read the source material, but have heard that the movie is very faithful to the comic with the exception of the ending. The story is dense and complex and is not always easy to follow. I don’t think that is intentional, and that works against the film. For the most part, the characters do not stand out. The exception is Rorschach, amazingly played by Jackie Earle Haley. He chews the scenery and simply steals every single scene he is in. I would have loved to see more of him, but this is an ensemble film, so he is only one of many. The film looks great. Director Zack Snyder has a clear grasp of how to make a good looking movie. In the end, fans of the book will be mostly pleased I think, but those unfamiliar with the work might be a bit put off. This isn’t a film for everyone, and I can only give it a marginally positive review.