After their foster parents die, telepathic Kim Richards (as Tia Malone) and telekinetic Ike Eisenmann (as Tony Malone) must return to living in an orphanage. On an outing with ever-delightful Reta Shaw (in her last film role), the siblings' otherworldly powers are discovered, by Donald Pleasence (as Lucas Deranian), the devious driver for dastardly millionaire Ray Milland (as Aristotle Bolt). With help from heart-warmed Eddie Albert (as Jason O'Day), the children must escape from Mr. Milland, who has nefarious plans…

The usual Disney clichés - cute kids, lovable animals, old pros - but significantly better than what had, by the time this film was originally released, become the norm at the studio: mediocre to poor kid fare. Children deserve quality. "Escape to Witch Mountain" is more imaginative than insulting; and, as you'll see, it could arguably be called ahead of its time. The players and animals are nicely corralled by director John Hough; "Winkie" is the cat's meow, and the instrumental puppet dance is quite memorable.

******* Escape to Witch Mountain (3/21/75) John Hough ~ Ike Eisenmann, Kim Richards, Eddie Albert, Ray Milland

Alexander Key's popular pre-teen novel concerns two orphaned siblings with supernatural powers taken in by a nefarious millionaire (named Aristotle Bolt!) who wants to exploit their magical abilities for personal gain. Top-notch Walt Disney adventure for families has natural, non-precocious performances from young Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards as the gifted kids, and their friendship with good-hearted traveler Eddie Albert is sweet but not sticky. The eerie flashbacks to the youngsters' early beginnings are well-captured by director John Hough, who is otherwise forced (perhaps for budgetary reasons) to skimp on genuine atmosphere in place of an elongated chase. Too bad the finale replaces emotion with effects, as these characters are quite remarkable. Followed by a fairly wan sequel, 1978's "Return From Witch Mountain", in which the special effects became the whole show. **1/2 from ****

While not perfect, this Disney sci-fi drama is one of their better films of the 70s. Some of the special effects may be dated by today's standards, but some weren't that bad, and the film does meander towards the end. But essentially this film is really quite charming, with a nice story, lovely music and a well written narrative. The direction is also good, and the cinematography is on the most part beautiful. But it is the performances that make Escape to Witch Mountain worth watching. Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann are surprisingly good as Tia and Tony, while Donald Pleasance is a very good Lucas Deranian. It is Ray Milland who steals the show though, in a deliciously evil performance as Aristotle Bolt. Aside from the performances, this movie does have a lot of nostalgic value that holds up on repeated viewings. Followed by a follow-up movie Return from Witch Mountain and an inferior but average 1995 remake this is a very nice film that has enough thrills to delight kids and adults. 8/10 Bethany Cox