Orphans Tony (Ike Eisenmann) and Tia (Kim Richards) have it rough. Not only do the other children dislike them, they have a bad habit of using their mind-control powers like telekinesis and clairvoyance at inappropriate times. With only fragmented memories of the past, the two orphans want to find their true family. Of course, when they give visiting lawyer Lucas Deranian (Donald Pleasance) a telling premonition, the attorney runs to his ruthless boss Aristotle Bolt (Ray Milland). The wealthy tycoon, with an unhealthy obsession with the occult, soon wants the kids for his very own. Trapped in his menacing mansion, our leads learn of the bad man's plans, so they escape and hitch a ride with RV driving widower Jason O'Day (Eddie Albert). They ask the man to take them to Witch Mountain, where they hope to reconnect with their history and discover the source of their otherworldly abilities.
The very best thing about Escape to Witch Mountain is the pitch perfect performance offered by each of our memorable child stars. As Tia and Tony, Richards and Eisenmann are marvels of studio-reared talent, taking each scene in this speculative silliness and infusing it with an urgency and a force that's impossible to quell. They almost singlehandedly make up for the changes to Key's narrative (an outright villain in Bolt is added), and the relatively lax performances of more mature castmates Pleasance, Denver Pyle, and Albert. As usual, Disney puts its iconic stamp on the material by making the kids' powers a wish fulfillment highlight. We get lots of levitation, tons of telekinesis, and more portents of possible evil than a call to the Psychic Friends Hotline.
Granted, this is definitely kinder, gentler speculation. Albert is so curt yet cuddly that he infers heroics before they actually get a chance to occur, and Milland makes the most of his ambiguous, unclear character motives (how, exactly did he intend to use these kids, anyway?). Still, never underestimate the men behind Mickey to understand what G-rated viewers want from their entertainment. Escape to Witch Mountain talks directly to, not down at, underage audiences lacking the sophistication to understand anything other than baseball bats that 'automatically' beat up bullies and unexplained threats curbed by the kindness of older, approachable adults. In fact, this edition of Witch Mountain makes its modern stunt-focused remake look ridiculous by comparison.
This doesn't mean it's any less dated or dopey. Within the cardboard cutout narrative turns and last act artifice, you can see the basics of a believable, brave adventure here. Some of that substance shows up, as well as in the 2009 adaptation. It's just a shame that the plot twist secret -- the kids are actually aliens from space -- can't be enjoyed today. Too much time has passed to view the film through such pristine, unencumbered eyes --which is perhaps the only way to appreciate this trite translation.
The new DVD includes a pop-up trivia track, commentary, and numerous making-of featurettes.
