Earth to Echo *** (2014, Teo Halm, Brian ‘Astro’ Bradley, Reese Hartwig) – Movie Review

In director Dave Green’s 2014 ET clone children’s movie, a group of 13-year-old suburban American kids embark on an adventure with a cute stranded alien who needs their help that’s relayed to them a series of bizarre encrypted messages. When they meet and befriend the alien, sinister grown-ups swoop down onto the scene.

Earth to Echo is a mild but sweet enough little fantasy action adventure film for kids about the same ages as the heroes, around 10 to 15. It combines ideas from those old favourites The Explorers, ET and The Goonies with some hand-held cameras and computer/mobile images for immediacy and to make the film seem more up to date or just a bit different from ET. Unfortunately, the found footage idea is a stale constricting mess for the film, which would be much better without it.

Comparisons are odious, but, by being a story we’ve heard before, it really does invite comparison with The Explorers, ET and The Goonies, and naturally, if judged like that, it falls short. Teo Halm, Brian ‘Astro’ Bradley and Reese Hartwig do well as the likeable, well characterised three kids Alex, Tuck and Munch, with Halm the best of the trio. The alien is a bit rubbish, looking annoyingly like a metal owl, though the effects are decent on a low budget.

Henry Gayden writes the screenplay from his story written with Andrew Panay.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Movie Review

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