La montagne ensorcelée

The 1970's was not a good time for the Disney Studios. Much of the stuff that came from Disney at this time were corny and fluff. This movie however is a rare exception, esp. for it's time.

This film is about a bother and sister, Tony & Tia (Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards)who have powers(ESP, Levitation and the like)but they don't know how or where these powers come from. Tia is being bothered by memories of an accident that she can't piece together. However, as the film progresses-the pieces come together like a puzzle and they figure out the answer to the question: "Where are we from?"

I must say that the chemistry between Eisenmann & Richards worked so well, people actually believe that they are brother & sister. It's really remarkable how well they worked together-no wonder it looked so real. This is remarkable acting talent on the part of these two and no one could have done it better. This is why I think these two actors are underrated.

I'm not going to go into detail of the rest of the film. Read the other reviews for that. One thing I need to mention is that the special effects were great for it's time. Maybe They were a little Cheesy, but the essence of the story is not the powers these kids have, but they are searching for their home and looking for answers about where they come from. To me, this is the real story-not the special effects.

I just got my DVD copies of both films This and "Return From witch mountain" They done a good job remastering the soundtrack in THX, 5.1 Dolby surround sound. It sounds as good as it does in the theater if you have a home theater system.

I first saw Escape to Witch Mountain when it came out in 1975. Even though I was 22 at that time, I still remember the warm feelings that were in my heart when the movie was over. It made me feel like a little boy again! Over the years, I must have seen this movie at least 50 times, and I still get heart-warming feelings every time I view it. I have three children, (girls), and made sure that they saw it. They loved it! I originally went to see this movie because I was a fan of Donald Pleasence and Eddie Albert. It was'nt long before I became a fan of Ike and Kim as well. It would be terrific if Disney would do a sequel, (with Ike & Kim).

Honestly, very few things in life fill me with more joy and happiness than re-watching the favorite movies of my childhood during lazy Sunday afternoons, now more or less 20 to 25 years after I last saw them. During the past couple of years, I discovered that I still love them all just as much as back when I was a geeky 9- year-old with an unhealthy interest in macabre kids' films! I'm talking about titles like "Dark Crystal", "The Watcher in the Woods", "Return to Oz", "Island at the Top of the World" and "Something Wicked this Way Comes". "Escape to Witch Mountain" was also on my list of childhood favorites, and re-watching this particular one also became another emotional milestone for me, since I watched it together with my 6-year-old son! We live in Belgium, so he doesn't speak English and he can't properly read subtitles yet, so I pretty much narrated the entire movie to him. But that was a big pleasure since he was clearly just as impressed and intrigued as I was 25 years ago and he truly loved all the legendary scenes, like with the flying RV, the trained bear and the upside down helicopter! Now, nearly a week after having seen the film he still talks about it and he particularly feels proud about having watched a more mature movie whereas his friends at school are still just watching the animated Disney movies!

But anyways, even my more objective opinion states that "Escape to Witch Mountain" is a recommendable film for all types of audiences. It has an engaging plot, good pacing, plenty of versatile action and – most of all – wonderful acting performances. Back when I was 9, I obviously didn't know who Donald Pleasance or Ray Milland were, but over the years I became a horror fanatic and now they are both ranked among my favorite actors of all time. It's good to see that even in Disney movies they remain loyal to their reputations and depict villainous characters that are equally menacing and loathsome as in regular hardcore horror movies! The story introduces two cherubic but orphaned siblings, Tia and Tony, with sensational supernatural powers. The girl Tia can foretell things before they occur and talk to animals, while the boy has telekinetic capacities. Nobody knows where they come from, although Tia has vague recollections of a shipwreck, and they are placed in a boarding school where they clearly don't fit in with the other children. When the girl saves the life of a certain Mr. Deranian (Donald Pleasance) by warning him about an accident about to happen, he is immediately intrigued by her powers and informs his employer Aristotle Bolt (Ray Milland). Their intentions obviously aren't peaceful and even though they offer Tia and Tony a giant room full of toys, the girl senses they are in danger and they flee from the estate. With the - initially reluctant – help of lone tourist Jason O'Day (Eddie Albert), they set out on a dangerous journey in search for their true personalities. "Escape to Witch Mountain" is still a great and adventurous kids' movie, accomplished with a lot more heart and passion than nowadays. I hope to quickly track down the sequel "Return to Witch Mountain" as well, as it has an equally impressive cast featuring Christopher Lee and Bette Davis.

I was thrilled to see one of my favourite films, as a child, released on to DVD. I can now share some of my childhood with my own kids. No big surprise, but my older daughter (7) loves it. My younger daughter (2) thought some parts were "scary daddy"; the broom/jail scene was well done! Highly recommend it as a family film for folks that want a nice movie to watch with their kids.

It always puzzles me how adults can review movies that were meant for a young audience and review it negatively (through adult eyes), completely forgetting about a child's unique and innocent perspective on the film. Shame on them all!!

As a young kid in the 70's, Disney, cartoons and sports were all weekly staples- so many good memories!! Escape to Witch Mountain was one of the first movies I saw in the theater, and was both entertaining and fun. A good adult cast; Donald Pleasence, Ray Milland and the underrated Eddie Albert, all provide good support for our two hero kids who use their powers to not only try to find home again but thwart the evil intentions of those trying to use their powers for their own benefit. The movie is well paced and has the usual hi jinks one expects in a "chase" film. I enjoyed it then and liked it just as much after a recent viewing on cable.

This movie also illustrates how one doesn't need bad language or crude behavior/jokes to appeal to kids. What some people regard as "corny" others find a refreshing change from today's standards of "acceptable" programming.