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In the documentary "Making the Escape" (which appears on the disc), director John Hough proclaims that the special effects used in Disney's classic "Escape to Witch Mountain" have withstood the test of time. It's nice to see a man who takes pride in his work, but I have to wonder if he really thinks the flying Winnebego looks that good. In his defense, most of the special effects are surprisingly decent (for their time) and enhance the film rather than detract from it. Just not the ones at the end. ***

"Escape to Witch Mountain" is a special effects movie, we are told in another featurette, just like "Mary Poppins" was. And yes, a special effects artist would see it that way, but to claim that the visual effects are the main attraction of the film is to lump it in with more pointless effects movies like "Flight of the Navigator" instead of recognizing the charm and simple drama "Escape" managed to incorporate into its fantasy. ***

"Escape to Witch Mountain" does a good job of having young Tony and his little sister Tia act like children. They are torn between a desire to use their magical powers to gain acceptance and a realization that their peers will reject them for that very reason. They are scared of dangers beyond their control, but they quickly forget those dangers when seduced by toys and ice cream. And while these kids could give Harry Potter a run for his money, the solutions they find to their problems are childlike enough to be believable. ***

Tony and Tia are also innocent enough that they keep trying to do good when their generosity lands them in trouble. They save a rich man's life only to be exploited for their powers. But after they escape, they meet up with an old codger named Jason O'Day, and their compassion on him is reciprocated. As he reluctantly agrees to help them find their way to wherever home is (Tia has only a small map and vague memories of a shipwreck), they discover a relationship based on love and acceptance and learn that real friendship doesn't need magical powers to work. ***

It's this simple charm, along with a decent amount of suspense, that makes "Escape to Witch Mountain" enjoyable. That's how adults will see it, anyway. Kids will just like the idea of having super powers. They can imagine that for a short while they have the ability to transcend the mundane reality they live in. That's what fantasy movies are about, after all. Well, that and special effects.

Once again, when Disney finds a DVD worth the effort, they do a good job. The image throughout the film is clean and free of artifacts. There is perhaps a slight degredation to the print, as there is no mistaking that the film was made in the 70s. Beyond that, the image is pristine. Contrast is nice, colors are vivid, and hues are strong but contain perhaps a little too much magenta for accurate fleshtones. ***

The sound is also clear throughout the feature (it is THX certified, after all). The dialogue is clean and understandable throughout, but the 5.1 surround is hardly noticable. The movie was obviously filmed in mono, but Disney can do miracles with mono soundtracks. The soundtrack on this disc, however, falls well short of miraculous. I was neither impressed by the sound nor engulfed by it. It was just . . . there. So I am not complaining about it, but don't look at the 5.1 and think you're getting a spectacular remix. It's adequate but nothing more.

This disc is has a lot of extras. We have two behind-the-scenes specials, and even some treasures in the still-frame galleries, as well as other assortments. ***

The biggest extra is a 25-minute documentary titled "Making the Escape" in which director John Hough shares his thoughts on the movie, as do the three major child stars in the film. We get observations on everything from the special effects to the personalities of the actors and how the kids felt working with them. The special doesn't break any new ground in the area of documentaries, but fans of the movie should be pleased with the conversations captured here. ***

A smaller featurette about special effects, titled "Disney Effects, Something Special", reminds us that Walt Disney was the premier special effects studio in the pre-"Star Wars" era. This special mentions the effects made for several classic Disney films (most notably "Mary Poppins"), but doesn't really go into much depth. ***

Also included on the disc is the classic Disney cartoon "Pluto's Dreamhouse". As was once standard with Disney films, the cartoon precedes the feature (but you have the option of skipping over it). The disc also offers the option of watching the cartoon without watching the whole movie. ***

Two musical montages, 1975 Disney Studio Album and the "Disney Sci-Fi" special, are the closest things we get to actual trailers (although there are previews of more recent theatrical and DVD releases elsewhere on the disc). ***

So how did Disney promote "Escape to Witch Mountain"? The still galleries contain images of posters, "Escape" merchandise, lobby cards (remember those?), and even a complete copy of an "Escape to Witch Mountain" comic book that you can read on your screen. Where did they find all this stuff? The galleries also contain bios/filmographies of the principal cast, as well as a collection of photographs taken during production. ***

The remaining special is a six-minute interview with John Hough. This is basically more of the same, as he's already provided a lot of input in the audio commentary as well as the "Making" documentary. I guess this is the stuff they couldn't fit anywhere else.