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The 1975 Walt Disney classic "Escape to Witch Mountain" is the touchstone of my youth. The film made me want to have the super powers of the two alien children, Tia (Kim Richards) and Tony (Iake Eisenmann), for the good of humanity, of course.

Now, Walt Disney Pictures is releasing a reboot of the film bearing a more fast-paced title "Race to Witch Mountain." The plot and the children's names may have been changed, but the magic is still intact.

Both "Escape" and "Race" films credit the 1968 science fiction book by Alexander Key as their source of inspiration. The novel's dark tone is highlighted by the belief that most humans are untrustworthy, greedy, and hateful. While the 2009 film version touches upon the evils of humanity, it also showcases the good of mankind.

The heart of "Race to Witch Mountain" belongs to Dwayne Johnson as a Las Vegas cab driver named Jack Bruno. The ex-wrestler, formerly known as The Rock, has been impressing me with his comedic timing and extreme likeability.

In the movie, Jack is an ex-con who's trying to turn his life around. But driving up and down the Las Vegas strip day-in and day-out makes him feel like a hamster on a wheel. His life is about to change when he encounters Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) and Seth (Alexander Ludwig), two siblings with paranormal powers.

Carrying an exorbitant amount of cash, the pair asks Jack to take them to an undisclosed Nevada location far away from the strip. But soon, they're being chased by a group of government employees headed by UFO investigator, the no-nonsense Henry Burke (Ciaran Hinds).

It's now up to Jack to help the siblings unravel the secrets of Witch Mountain, a mysterious place known for unexplained phenomena and strange sightings. Helping them is astrophysicist Dr. Alex Friedman (Carla Gugino fresh from the success of "Watchmen"). Now, the race is on to save not just one but two worlds.

"Race to Witch Mountain" is steep in UFO culture and folklore. Director Andy Fickman, who was born in Roswell, New Mexico, is a big fan of the unexplained and hitches his fun-filled adventure onto popular beliefs surrounding extraterrestrials. Garry Marshall as UFO specialist Dr. Donald Harlan provides the theories in the movie.

Robb and Ludwig did great jobs in playing likeable aliens. Both have big shoes to fill and they managed to inject warmth to their roles. The duo has great chemistry with Johnson. The film would not have worked if their relationship is not believable.

Fickman, together with his scriptwriters Matt Lopez and Mark Bomback, crafted an homage to the original film yet managed to make the franchise contemporary. It was heartwarming to see the stars of "Escape to Witch Mountain," Richards and Eisenmann, show up in pivotal roles.

Fans of the older "Witch Mountain" will connect with the new film. I was imagining how I would have felt as a child watching the new "Race to Witch Mountain." Guess what? I enjoyed the fantastic journey, I still want Sara and Seth's supernatural powers and I can identify with both of them even now that I'm decades older.

And for that, "Race to Witch Mountain" gets 3 amazing race kisses.

Learn more about this author, Manny The Movie Guy.
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