Race to Witch Mountain
Metascore
52 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 28 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 28
  3. Negative: 3 out of 28
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  1. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    80
    It's entertaining with a crafty mixture of action, humor and drama.
  2. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Perry Seibert
    75
    Race to Witch Mountain isn't some kind of action watershed, or science-fiction milestone, but it most certainly is a finely crafted reboot of a franchise that was ripe for an updating.
  3. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    75
    May not make adults feel as if they're 10 again, but it will awaken their memories of Saturday matinees that upped children's adrenaline without blinding them with Day-Glo colors or insulting their intelligence.
  4. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Clark Collis
    75
    The planet-hopping children have special talents -- telekinesis, telepathy etc. -- although it is the high-wattage lovability of Mr Rock that's the real superpower on display here.
  5. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Andy Spletzer
    75
    After an excellent setup, the movie becomes bogged down in chase scene after chase scene on its way to its inevitable ending.
  6. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Betsy Sharkey
    70
    A fast and furious (yes "fast and furious" in that way) wild ride of a movie in which the good guys are good (some of them really, really good), the bad guys are good (very scary good) and the car chases (around a thousand of them by my count, though it was hard to keep track with all the screeching tires and twisted metal) are pretty spectacular.
  7. Variety
    Reviewed by: Joe Leydon
    70
    Strikes a deft balance of chase-movie suspense and wisecracking humor, with a few slam-bang action setpieces that would shame the makers of more allegedly grown-up genre fare.
  8. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    63
    I think Dwayne Johnson has a likable screen presence and is a good choice for an innocuous family entertainment like this.
  9. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    63
    The action beats are so relentless, no sooner does one chase end than another begins.
  10. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    60
    While "Escape" was superior in story, "Race" does commit to an impressive scope. What it is, really, is a big-studio popcorn flick that just happens to be made for tweens.
  11. Empire
    Reviewed by: Chris Hewitt
    60
    An unexpectedly entertaining mixture of good, clean Disney fun with some rather more modern action scenes, lent charm by Johnson’s natural swagger. One of the better family films in a while.
  12. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ernest Hardy
    60
    A calculated bid to turn the Rock into a more family-friendly commodity. That calculation may be transparent, but it pays off: Cracking one-liners and alternating between world-weariness and growing affection for his charges, Johnson is wonderful -- much better than his material.
  13. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Jan Stuart
    60
    Race to Witch Mountain has Johnson, who lifts the script above its conventional cat-and-mouse stratagems with his buoyant wiseacre timing.
  14. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Andrea Gronvall
    60
    With its chase scenes, shoot-outs, explosions, and special effects, this looks more like Jerry Bruckheimer product than a traditional Disney feature. But there are also some light-hearted moments, the best occurring at a UFO convention where the aliens seem more normal than the earthlings.
  15. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: David Hiltbrand
    50
    Curiously, despite Johnson's imposing physique, it's the kids who do most of the smashing and grabbing, right up until the climax, when it's all-hands-on-neck.
  16. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Staff [Not Credited]
    50
    Mediocre family fare that's simply not that much fun.
  17. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    50
    This is not a story that cries out to be remade every 15-20 years. And, while the special effects and acting are getting better, the story isn't.
  18. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Patrick Parker
    50
    Parents might like the film, but will be too busy explaining the complicated plot to their children to really enjoy it.
  19. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Stephen Cole
    50
    Young male earthlings should like everything about Race to Witch Mountain. Just make sure you race your caffeinated charges to the washrooms right after the movie to defuel so there won't be any accidents on the space shuttle home.
  20. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Matthew Sorrento
    50
    Race can satisfy with a steady pace.
  21. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    50
    Fans of the original films will dig Richards and Eisenmann's cameo appearances.
  22. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: M. E. Russell
    50
    The Rock charms you through the worst of it, but the effects are cheap, the dialogue is about as challenging as a "Hannah Montana" episode, and the pace manages to be both brisk and numbing.
  23. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
    50
    Modest and diverting, rough and bland, with some good (if not quite Bette Davis caliber) actors and so-so special effects.
  24. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    50
    Director Andy Fickman, who previously blanded Johnson up in "The Game Plan," has fashioned the film into a one-size-fits-all, action-packed special-effects extravaganza for the whole family.
  25. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    40
    This is filmmaking by the numbers meant to succeed by the numbers.
  26. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    38
    This is not a movie. It's a coming attraction for a theme park.
  27. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    25
    Bears all the signs of having been composed by an inferior race of alien screenwriters from the Hackulon System.
  28. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Justin Berton
    25
    Wow, when Disney misses the "reimagining" mark, it really misses.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 18
  3. Negative: 1 out of 18
  1. RonaldM
    9
    Liked it very much. Dwayne Johnson did fairly well in this one. Was liked by entire family.
  2. HyperS
    5
    Relentless, excessive, noisy. 10% normal dialogue, 80% action sequences, and 10% action dialogue. Yes, the director forcefully tries to make even dialogue scenes an action sequence (most notably all military personnel scenes). I.e. Fast paced rock music in the background, unnecessary over-the-top spastic dialogue, cliche acting and intentions, and the convenience of "God Technology" where two people can know anything and everything in under 10 seconds (director's notion of story-telling). The two kids and Dwayne Johnson played their roles fine along with other (non-military) supporting cast. Despite the heavy emphasis on action (which I thought was a little annoying) there was still enough here to warrant at least a 5.… Full Review »
  3. sil3nt_nick
    5
    The movie had good actors, the soon to be Hunger Games villain, Alexander Ludwig and well-known AnnaSophia Robb with Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino. Despite the acting talents, the story was boring.… Full Review »
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