All-new Pop-up Fun Facts, Making The Escape, Conversations with John Hough, Disney Sci-Fi, Pluto's Dream House Cartoon, Disney Effects: Something Special, 1975 Disney Studio Album, Audio Commentary

Escape To Witch Mountain, re-released upon the opening of "Race To Witch Mountain," as a "special edition," DVD is first and foremost, a Disney money-making ploy. Yet, the film itself is a testament to Disney in the golden era of live-action, family-entertainment. It was throughout these years that Disney found a happy medium between camp and cool, between technological innovation and the importance of storytelling. These films, such20as Freaky Friday have been remade, more often than not, unsuccessfully, or set the standard for Disney and its competitors. Animated films of the decade such as "The Rescuers," as well as films which combined both elements like "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," have aged incredibly well. These films remain for children of that era cinematic memorabilia, which they can continuously and happily revisit. Unlike "Race To Witch Mountain," and other kinds of throwaway entertainment , these films outlast their release ; something many films fail to accomplish beyond opening weekend. ****

This film, with special effects between hokey and "Weta" studio of the day still claims an indescribable enchantment on its audience. The movie is corny, yet undeniably engaging, and that is what makes "Escape To Witch Mountain," a cut above similar family movies. It bursts through the constraints of its era, and has become a beloved classic for children and adults alike. The lead actors, with talents seemingly widespread among 70's Disney casting, are believable and carry themselves with the needed urgency. The supporting cast is also strong, and the story that underlines it all is wonderfully immersive. Clai rvoyance is something that most youngsters dream about, and "Escape To Witch Mountain," realizes this phenomena. Recent attempts at family science fiction, "The Last Mimzy" sadly being the first that comes to mind, fail to create a hybrid of genuine intrigue, and childlike wonder. Studios feel this blatant urge to turn up the action, to throw enough on screen that we feel as if we got our money's worth in pyrotechnics. But it's all fluff, superfluous, overdone, and tiresome.

The extras for the film include an audio commentary by director John Hough and actors Ike Eissinmann & Kim Richards, which is standard but always interesting to some. A pop-up trivia set is also available in this edition, in the spirit of AMC. The featurette called "Making the Escape" (26 minutes) is nostalgic enough, although "making of" vids are always less developed in older films. We thankfully take more care to document the process nowadays. A conversation with John Hough (7 minutes) is available, as well as 2-minute montage of clips from Disney sci-fi movies, which is set to horrific TECHNO music. The 11-minute examination of the film's special effects is most entertaining, as is a 3-minute montage of live-action Disney films from '70s. The 7-minute cartoon called "Pluto's Dre am House," however, is a bizarre vintage cartoon in which Mickey Mouse enslaves a talking lamp that sounds just like Robert Downey Jr. right out of Tropic Thunder. All in all, the special edition DVD is simply an attempt to capitalize on the release of "Race To Witch Mountain," another unnecessary, so-called star vehicle. All of these special features are included in the previous edition.

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