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But after spending some time in the mountains becoming reacquainted with their people and past, it is time for the two youths to get out a little. A trip is planned, to the city of Los Angeles, where the kids will spend some time living it up in civilization, under the watchful eye of some members of their race. Only one rule...don't go showing off those psychic powers in public! But when things go wrong, they never make it to the meeting and wind up separated in a strange city, with no idea of where to go or how to get back home.
If this wasn't bad enough, Tony soon draws some attentions to himself by using his powers out in the open, albeit to save a life, and becomes the center of attention for Dr. Victor Gannon. The shrewd Dr. Gannon (played to devilish perfection by Christopher Lee) has been working at perfecting a form of mind control that he hopes will somehow allow him to rule the world. As all god madmen do, Gannon has set his sights high, but unlike many of his evil genius counterparts, he is not a rich supervillian. As such, he is forced to rely upon the funding of the invariably greedy Letha (Bette Davis), a rich heiress that has an insatiable desire to increase her own fortune.
Meanwhile, Tia is forced to wander the streets of L.A. searching for her lost brother, but without the aid of their normal psychic link. It seems that Dr. Gannon's mind control has canceled out all of Tony's connections with his sister, making a reunion extremely unlikely without some outside help! Lucky for Tia, that help is just around the corner; in the form of the Earthquake Gang! This ragtag group of juvenile delinquents is made up of a bunch of kids who want desperately to be bad, but suceed only at being nice, genuine and caring. Where are they going wrong! Seeing Tia and her magical powers as a way to increase the status of their street gang, the Earthquakes decide to help her out in locating her brother.
What follows is an hour and a half of car chases, levitating people, psychic battles, museum mayhem, and a climax that takes place in a plutonium plant, and threatens a deadly meltdown right in the neighborhood of Southern California (dear God! What about Disneyland!). Let's not forget about the obsessed, yet bumbling truant officer, Mr. Yokomoto (YoYo), played hilariously by "Barny Miller"'s Jack Soo in his last credited role. He wants only to see the Earthquake Gang back in school, but the pesky kids manage to stay one step ahead of him the whole way.
Overall, Return From Witch Mountain is sub-par to its predecessor, in both plot and execution. But what it lacks in creativity, it more than makes up for in special effects (some where quite impressive for the late 1970s) and in genuinely funny moments. The Earthquake Gang is good for a whole lot of laughs, and it is apparent on screen that these kids were having the time of their lives while making this film (we know this to be true when we hear it from the actors' own lips...more on that later). Much as in the first film though, an animal upstages every actor (including the venerable Mr. Lee and Ms. Davis) when Alfred the goat is let loose on the streets.
A surprisingly predictable performance from Christopher Lee did nothing to enhance the despicable nature of Dr. Gannon, and the rare, strangely awful acting of Bette Davis left me scratching my head as to reasons why she could be so droll. Even Tia and Tony, Richards and Eisenmann, don't manage to capture the full magic and chemistry that they displayed in the original film.
I would have to say, that the included extras are a real treat, and would make any true Disney fan want to own the disc solely for their inclusion. It was great fun listening and watching as the original actors spent a great deal of time recounting their favorite moments on set, the practical jokes they would play on one another, the secret crushes that worked their way across the cast, and what they have all been up to since the filming. Hearing each person in turn tell how much the Witch Mountain movies made a difference in their lives is an added bonus that is left out of so many recent releases...where the full extent of a movie's impact is not yet known.
Also of noticeable worth, is the inclusion of a subtitled interview that Christopher Lee held with a Spanish speaking journalist at the time of the movie's filming. In it, we get treated to such sights as Mr. Lee singing a bit of opera, doing a damn fine job at speaking Spanish, talking about other projects he has encountered, and divulging some secrets of the evil Dr. Gannon. I have long been a fan of Christopher Lee and this is a definite addition to my DVD collection, solely for this rare inclusion.
Not a bad Disney movie, and definitely a decent sequel (especially in light of some recent animated attempts). Make sure that you have Escape To Witch Mountain first, and if you enjoy that film, then pick this one up as well. The extra features and the continuation of the Castaway's story is a must for fans of the first film. If you did not find the magic of the first movie, then there still won't be much to excite you here, but my recommendation is that it is worth a look.
-aaron-
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Tony
fits very well into both of their plans, and soon is captured and
placed under the control of Dr. Gannon. With the complete control
of a man, Gannon can command an army of one; with complete control
of Tony, Gannon has a force to be reckoned with! But will Gannon
be able to utilize Tony's powers to their fullest extent before Letha
exposes everything in an attempt at instant fortune? Well, a
museum full of gold, and a boy with powers of levitation and to animate
inanimate objects sure presents a nice opportunity.