EARTH TO ECHO
  
STARRING: Teo Halm, Brian Astro
Bradley, Reese Hartwig, Ella Wahlestedt, Jason Gray-Stanford
2014, 91 Minutes, Directed by: Dave Green
 Earth
to Echo has a lot of similarities to E.T. (1982). A
group of youngsters discover what turns out to be an alien mechanoid of some
sort and dub it Echo. With the help of the kids, Echo is trying to reassemble
itself from pieces scattered over many miles. Meanwhile a group of scientists
and government officials are also looking for the pieces, but for very different
purposes.
However, it is three
decades later and we’re in a very different world. Steven Spielberg’s movie
was a celebration of childhood in the suburbs, even if Mom and Dad no longer
lived together. Kids were free to ride their bicycles all over the place and
young Eliot and his friends eventually took to the skies thanks to their
alien friend. Alex (Teo Halm), Tuck (Brian Astro Bradley), and Munch (Reese
Hartwig) face a different situation. Their suburban community is being taken
by the authorities and they all have to move away. On their last night
together, they’re going to have an adventure.
These kids have grown up in
an age of smartphones and GPS and the Internet. They don’t use candy pieces
to attract the alien, they use electronics. It’s essentially a scavenger
hunt as the pieces are located in places as different as an arcade, a biker
bar, and a barn. The government agents eventually figure out what they’re
doing, but a late arrival to their group, Emma (Ella Wahlestedt), proves a
worthy addition.
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"For those who measure their ages in single digits, this will be
one of the best films of the summer." |
Since this is billed as a family film we can anticipate the ending even if
Echo, like E.T., has a death scene. This is about the
young friends learning to have faith in each other and beginning to
understand that not all adults have their best interests at heart. For those
viewers who measure their ages in single digits, this will prove to be one
of the best films of the summer.
The special effects are
effective because they build up slowly across the film. From the initial
discovery of Echo’s parts to its reconstitution to the big payoff at the
end, they serve the story without overwhelming it. The focus is always on
kids and their mission to help their new friend Echo get home. If you take
the side of the adults and worry that cute little Echo might be an advance
scout for a massive alien invasion force, this probably isn’t the movie for
you.
Earth to Echo
probably won’t be a critic’s favorite any more than Jersey Boys,
the musical tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, was, but both of
them are actually very good signs. Particularly in the summer, Hollywood
pitches most of its movies to the 18-25 audience, particularly the male
audience. That explains all those monster movies and superhero films and
broad comedies. Earth to Echo isn’t intended to burn up the box
office (as E.T. did in 1982). It’s intended to be
counterprogramming, in this case pitched to youngsters and their families.
As with any other film it can be good or bad, but that’s defined by whether
it appeals to its intended audience. In that sense, Earth to Echo
works just fine.
- Daniel
Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel is a
veteran movie critic and author of a host of film-related books. He recently
released his first novel, Shh! It’s a Secret: a novel about Aliens, Hollywood
and the Bartender’s Guide. He lives in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Watch trailer / clip:
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