Film Review: Earth to Echo

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Published on Tuesday, 22 July 2014 21:05

Last Updated on 22 July 2014

Monica Costa

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In the last couple of weeks I have watched a few mainstream movies but none of them really impressed me. The cinematic beauty this Summer comes from independent low budgets films and in the kiddies’ space two in particular caught my imagination because they are sensationally written: Boyhood and Earth to Echo.

Kids-driven Sci-Fi Earth to Echo is E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) meets The Blair Witch Project meets the Transformers.

The story

Best ‘nerdy’ friends Tuck, Munch and Alex are spending their last few days together before their houses are demolished by a highway construction project and they are forced to move away from each other. However, events take an exciting and unexpected turn when they start receiving cryptic signals on their mobile phones with maps directing them to a secret location. The inseparable trio are convinced that this could be the beginning of an amazing adventure and set out to crack the code and discover the meaning of the messages. This leads them to encounter Echo, a mysterious alien from another planet who desperately needs their help in order to return home. An epic story beyond the wildest of imaginations, the race is on for the friends to save Echo as they embark on a journey that will change all of their lives forever.

The trailer

What we really think about it

Earth To Echo is clearly a family film and the little owl-shaped alien (which the kids name Echo) obviously is very likeable and not scary at all. In fact it is even cuter and sweeter than E.T. Echo wants to go home. The story follows the steps of Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece with a degree of success, but is shot in a documentary style that resembles The Blair Witch Project and on a low budget. It is the teenagers’ perspective on life as a child with a contemporary look and feel that the movie wants to get across. The parallel with the Transformers is simply because the spaceship and the alien use magnetic forces to build and rebuild. Quite clever special effects that children and parents alike enjoyed. Kids loved the scene where a track scatters in pieces to make way for a vehicle only to rebuild a few seconds later behind it.

Despite clear parallels with famous and popular movies, Earth To Echo is certainly a good and original choice not just for a rainy holiday afternoon.  Strangely I could watch it again and again. And because it is PG certificate it means mums and dads can watch it together!

Mums’ rating: 7/10 – Our high rating is down to the writing rather than the hand-held camera filming that at times was annoying.

Kids’ rating: 5/10 – the children liked the story but did not like the shaky camera shots.

Earth To Echo will land in cinemas on Friday, 25 July 2014.