Earth to Echo – Movie Review

Category: Movies

earthtoechoEarth to Echo is a fun summer film for the entire family. It’s a little E.T., a little The Goonies, and a touch of Stand By Me.

 

The entire story is told through the eyes – and video cameras – of three young boys as they spend their last night together. Their neighborhood is being torn down to make way for a new freeway so everyone is being forced to move. This move will break up the tight-knit trio.

 

On their last day together, they receive a mysterious signal through their cell phones. It is a map. The boys concoct a plan to follow the map (on their bikes) into the desert to see what is going on. They know something is very strange and for their last night together they decide an adventure is in order.

 

What they find, after they have ridden their bikes miles and miles from home, is a strange little device. They discover, after some heart-pounding moments and raw nerves, it is an alien. The little fellow communicates through beeps. They name him Echo and learn that he needs their help to rebuild his spaceship to return to his home. By following maps throughout the night, the boys help Echo get objects that he needs to rebuild his ship.

The trio becomes a foursome when one of their classmates joins them in the night. She is just as eager to help Echo as they are. But the authorities are on their trail and while they are looking for the tools Echo needs, the government is pursuing the kids.

 

ECHO

 

The kids are headstrong about helping the little alien, yet also concerned for their own lives. Tuck (Brian “Astro” Bradley) is the guy who wants to film the entire night. Alex (Teo Halm) is the kid who has had a tough life and has little fear of anything. Munch (Reese Hartwig) is the tech guru who is a bit squirrely but finds his inner strength by the end of the film. And Emma (Ella Wahlestedt) is a girl from a middle class family who has more guts and determination than any of the boys.

 

Producer Andrew Panay wanted to make a movie using the technology that kids today use in their everyday life: the Internet and cameras. “Kids today are doing a lot of their own filming and they’re videotaping and Vine-ing,” said Panay. “There are all these different social media outlets and ways of communicating which comes down to turning the camera around and shooting yourself and sending it off.” He decided to incorporate this with shades of the movies he loved as a young boy.

 

There are some fun laugh-out-loud moments throughout the movie. And there are some sweet scenes of friendship. Earth to Echo is delightfully entertaining. It’s just as fun for adults as it is for kids. It is rated PG for some action and peril, and mild language.

 

 

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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