Return From Witch Mountain

G

Released Mar 10, 1978

1h 35m

Kids & Family

Sci-Fi

List

50%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

39%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Tony (Ike Eisenmann) and Tia (Kim Richards) are other-worldly twins endowed with telekinesis. When their Uncle Bene drops them off in Los Angeles for an earthbound vacation, a display of their supernatural skill catches the eye of the nefarious Dr. Gannon (Christopher Lee) and his partner in crime, Letha (Bette Davis), who see rich possibilities in harnessing the children's gifts. They kidnap Tony, and Tia gives chase only to find Gannon is using her brother's powers against her.

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Mike P

Weak sequel to the Disney hit from 75...The most annoying thing about this entry is that it rewrites the rules from part 1...Tony could NOT engage in extensive telekinesis without his harmonica in part 1; and overall he was not as strong as his sister Tia. And then this version suddenly acts like he's stronger. Also obviously Uncle Bené was an idiot for leaving these young, impressionable and vulnerable children alone for two weeks...In downtown Los Angeles, no less! I don't know what he was thinking...Particularly with what wound up happening...One was kidnapped and brainwashed by supervillains; the other was taken in by a homeless street gang ...And they BOTH almost died!!..Obviously dropping off a couple 15 year olds on earth by themselves for a few days was BAD strategy...The best thing about this movie are the bad guys ...And somehow this lame sequel ensnared two of the best villains in cinema history...Bette Davis and Christopher Lee. And they're amazing...This movie doesn't deserve them...They should've been the big bads in the latest 007 franchise movie. But not this...And beyond those legends, Lee and Davis, this movie stinks. Another mindless and generic product from the Disney Factory... Overall: not recommended 👎

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/03/24

Full Review

Brian S

My Disney plus subscription is running out and one of the first movies I watched when I signed up was Escape to Witch Mountain. I had seen that as a child but didn't remember anything about it. I had never seen this sequel. If you never watched the first one, you could still watch this one and enjoy it. It's got a decent pace and although not the best acting, it's a fun watch. I could see kids enjoying this now even though the special effects would be considered dated by today's time standards. But as I watch this now as a grown up, I imagine how amazed I would be as a kid seeing this. I just like that it is good simple fun and there's no political messages other than the kids should stay in school. It's wholesome and I enjoy wholesome. Wouldn't say you the best movie I've seen all year by any means, but if you want something on for 90 minutes that you can enjoy, this is it. Also recommend the computer wore tennis shoes if you enjoy the older movies.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/18/23

Full Review

kyle e

When I heard that there was a sequel to the charming 1975 film, I was a little worried. But after seeing it, I enjoyed the film. The effects are outdated, the plot is nothing particularly special and the script has some weak spots. But it is definitely worth watching, as the film skips along nicely, is well directed and there are some humorous scenes with the juvenile group. Not to mention the lively car chase. But the acting is the best asset of this film. Jack Soo is hilarious in his supporting role and Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann reprise their roles and very well might I add. Christopher Lee is a finely sinister lead villain, but it is the legendary Bette Davis's picture all the way, as the actress brings a touch of colour into a film that could have easily been bland, and with that colour it made the film worth watching. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Liam D

Despite a good plot point and the talent of Christopher Lee (Burke & Hare, Death Line) and Bette Davis (Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte, The Nanny) it's a disappointment follow up to a great family movie

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/06/22

Full Review

Audience Member

The sequel to Escape to Witch Mountain. The two kids from the previous movie return and again they do a fair job in the acting department. Not sure how the movie makers conned Christopher Lee and Bette Davis into this movie. I felt like Bette Davis was phoning in her performance as one of the villains. I've seen her be much more menacing in other films. Christopher Lee did a good job as the main villain. I think this film would be very confusing if you haven't seen the original. I didn't enjoy the plot much, the villains had "rule the world" syndrome. Plus the special effects were awful, even for the time. Skip this one, unless you really want to watch the entire Witch Mountain series.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

In the second Witch Mountain movie, Ike Eisenmann, Kim Richards and Denver Pyle all come back as Tony, Tia, and Uncle Bené, a family of extraterrestrials with special powers. How could they make this even better, you wonder? How about by having Bette Davis as the film's villain, a woman named Letha Wedge, who is financing the mad science of Dr. Victor Gannon (Christopher Lee). Just imagine how many bad movies I've enjoyed just because Ms. Davis or Sir Lee appeared in. Both of them in the same film? You know that I jumped up and down for most of the run time of this. It's funny because the bad guys have such cross purposes: Gannon wants recognition and power, while Letha merely wants to achieve better ROI. They see Tony using his power, kidnap him and turn him into a robot that steals gold for them. This movie also has kids living in a destroyed mansion — the Earthquake Gang — and Jack Soo from Barney Miller as Mr. "Yo-Yo" Yokomoto, an adult on the side of the good guys. Sadly, Soo was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in the autumn of 1978, several months after the film's release. He'd die just a few months later, making this his final appearance. While John Hough would return to direct, the script for this was written by Malcolm Marmorstein, who wrote 69 episodes of Dark Shadows, the incredible Juan López Moctezuma-directed Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary; Pete's Dragon and wrote and directed Dead Men Don't Die and Love Bites.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

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John Hough

Director

Bette Davis

Letha

Christopher Lee

Victor

Kim Richards

Tia

Ike Eisenmann

Tony

Jack Soo

Mr. Yokomoto

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Steven D. Greydanus

Decent Films

Better structured and faster-moving than its predecessor … disappointingly, Tony spends almost the whole film separated from Tia in a trance-like state, so the siblings' relationship is lost.

Rated: B-

Mar 17, 2009

Full Review

Dale Pollock

Variety

Ending is ripe for a third pic in the series, and if high standards of first two are any indication, Disney org should push ahead.

Jun 11, 2008

Full Review

Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

A little on the dry side but Christopher Lee is so heartless and cold to children that it makes for a compelling villain. Basically a superhero movie for kids

Nov 1, 2022

Full Review

Kevin Carr

7M Pictures

While the first film had an exciting feel to it, Return to Witch Mountain was a bit of a let-down. It had more of a made-for-TV feel to it

Rated: 2.5/5

Apr 20, 2009

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Probably the closest Disney ever came to making a grindhouse film, starring Christopher Lee and Bette Davis as villains

Mar 13, 2009

Full Review

Betsy Bozdech

DVDJournal.com

If you were a fan as a kid, you'll find a certain amount of nostalgic appeal; if not, don't bother.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 29, 2006

Full Review

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Synopsis

Tony (Ike Eisenmann) and Tia (Kim Richards) are other-worldly twins endowed with telekinesis. When their Uncle Bene drops them off in Los Angeles for an earthbound vacation, a display of their supernatural skill catches the eye of the nefarious Dr. Gannon (Christopher Lee) and his partner in crime, Letha (Bette Davis), who see rich possibilities in harnessing the children's gifts. They kidnap Tony, and Tia gives chase only to find Gannon is using her brother's powers against her.

Director: John Hough
Screenwriter: Malcolm Marmorstein
Production Co: Walt Disney Productions
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 10, 1978, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Runtime: 1h 35m

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