Las Vegas Weekly

March 12, 2009 · 5:30 AM

You can’t stop The Rock — or Las Vegas — in Race to Witch Mountain

By Robin Leach

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson poses for a publicity shot.

Photo: CineVegas

Former wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson remembers the day he sat down with his 7-year-old daughter to watch the original Escape to Witch Mountain. “We both watched the older film together,” he said. “I was a big fan of it when I was growing up.”

Now a new version, a reimagining titled Race to Witch Mountain, is being released tomorrow, and Dwayne is its star. “It wasn’t a difficult decision to take the role,” he laughed. “My daughter was so excited at the prospect of the movie, the pieces fell together really nicely.”

Much of the Disney, fun-filled action-adventure was shot here in Las Vegas, and I remember last summer watching one long scene being filmed with alien body electrics setting all the slot machines in our Planet Hollywood to hit the jackpot simultaneously. Needless to say, pandemonium ensues, and a riot breaks out between the alien invaders and the earthling slot players!

While The Rock was in town filming, he was presented with a Walk of Fame star at the Brenden Theaters in the Palms during our CineVegas Film Festival, and he also hosted a fundraising event for his children’s charity at Planet Hollywood.

Photo: Denise Truscello

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson smells what Brenden Theaters is cookin.'

In Race, Dwayne plays a Vegas cab driver who is thrown into chaos when twin children with extraordinary paranormal powers ride his taxi. Dwayne winds up protecting them from an endless series of ruthless enemies, ranging from extra-terrestrials to mobsters and government agents. During the press junket, Dwayne said: “It is an action sci-fi adventure that got me really interested and excited. The first 10 to 15 minutes of the movie is an amazing roller coaster. Once you get on it, the action never stops, and it’s merged with all the Disney qualities of heart, humor and family. It’s great, intense entertainment.”

Vegas receives a bonanza of public relations exposure in the film, including the action scenes of the initial car chase. Dwayne insisted on doing his own stunts: “That’s a passion of mine, so the director, Andrew Flickman, let me roll. It turned out to be some pretty incredible and intense driving sequences.” Dwayne worked together with Andrew on another Disney film, Game Plan.

Photo: CineVegas

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson with Dennis Hopper.

Actress Kim Richards, who plays the role of a roadhouse waitress in Race, was the original girl, Tia, in 1975’s Escape. Carla Gugino, recently of the short-lived TV series Threshold, co-stars, with Cheech Marin and Garry Marshall making guest appearances. It’s an all-ages movie once you get past the initial extra-terrestrial creature Siphon, who was created by the designers of Alien and Predator.

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