Return from Witch Mountain (1978)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Aliens Tia (Kim Richards) and Tony (Ike Eisenmann) return to Earth for a vacation but soon Tony finds himself kidnapped by an evil scientist (Christopher Lee) and the woman (Bette Davis) who funds his experiments. The evil duo plan on using Tony's powers to take over the world so it's up to Tia to try and stop them. This sequel to Disney's ESCAPE FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN isn't nearly as good but fans will at least get some entertainment out of the supporting players. I think, for the most part, this is just a rehash of the original movie and the imagination level isn't nearly as high nor is the adventure as good. What we basically get are a lot of mildly amusing scenes where the kids are forced to use their power against one another and this does lead to a few good scenes. One of the highlights of the film happens when Tony is forced into a museum where Davis tries to get him to steal three-million in gold. This includes bringing the museum to life and this long sequence turns out to be the most memorable. The ending is also quite fun as Lee plans on blowing up the world and Tia must try to fight off Tony's powers. Unlike the first film, this one here actually contains some rather dark moments as the kids are constantly in danger and this gives the film a tone that isn't nearly as enjoyable. The special effects are just as impressive as the first one and they really get to shine during a car chase where certain objects magically move to try and ruin the chase. Both Richards and Eisenmann are very good in their parts and add a lot of charm even though their characters aren't written as well as previously. The main reason to check this out will be for fans of Lee and Davis who appear to be having a great time together. You can tell that both actors are enjoying these lesser roles that certainly didn't require them to do anything other than have fun. I found the two of them worked very well together and made for a great duo. Lee gets to be a good villain while Davis gets to show off some of her comic timing. In the end the film isn't nearly as good as the original but the cast and special effects make it worth while.
