By Sean Fenwick / Staff Writer

Race to Witch Mountain follows The Rock as he escorts two alien children to their ship located in the top-secret military base on Witch Mountain.

This is Disney’s run of the mill family action flick, with a charming lead, a passable story and action sequences all with the sole purpose of turning out big bucks.

Race to Witch Mountain is a reboot of a yet again passable 30-year-old franchise. The originals were more spooky and strange rather than fast and action-packed. In 1975 Disney introduced this series as a quick way to make money and they learned they could be successful. It’s no surprise they’ve done it again, except it has become a lot easier to get people into theaters. 

This movie is a great example Disney’s movie making machine at work. In the first weekend they raked in $25 million. They also learned that if they combine sub-par actors, an ordinary script and a relatively cheap director, they can work with a small budget with large returns.

Throwing on some cheap and dazzling special effects and paying The Rock a small fortune most likely didn’t hurt either. Then, with the help of marketing and even worse choices at the box office, the public has no choice on the matter but to bring their kids to this latest Disney flick. 

Nobody hates Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He is funny, charismatic, and can throw a mean elbow. Johnson has been building his reputation as an entertainer for a while now. And apparently he isn’t beyond taking a role in yet another kids’ movie.

Acting in movies such as Doom and Southland Tales and then switching to Disney films shows that even The Rock needs money. Johnson’s acting is bland at best, sometimes pulling laughs. His performance is paired well with the film’s mediocrity.