177 reviews
Filmed in the popular "found-footage" fashion, Earth to Echo is a refreshingly original family film that I enjoyed as much as my kids.
Funny with lots of heart, the movie was really well done, with great acting from the mostly young cast. The kids acted and spoke like real kids. Dealing with real problems like divorce, adoption, awkwardness with the opposite sex, and having to move away from friends, there is a lot here for the audience to relate to.
I initially thought that there wasn't a whole lot of character development with the Echo character, but in hindsight, the movie had little to do with Echo and more to do with the kids' journey - on their last night together - to get Echo home.
Too often do I find myself nodding off at these kids movies. This isn't the kid movie you think it is. Lots of action, suspense, and humor - with an edge, yet I'm pretty sure there is no profanity...and no violence. Here is a little gem that I fear that will get lost in the mix of all of the other Summer blockbusters, but hopefully a little word-of-mouth can make this a surprise hit.
Funny with lots of heart, the movie was really well done, with great acting from the mostly young cast. The kids acted and spoke like real kids. Dealing with real problems like divorce, adoption, awkwardness with the opposite sex, and having to move away from friends, there is a lot here for the audience to relate to.
I initially thought that there wasn't a whole lot of character development with the Echo character, but in hindsight, the movie had little to do with Echo and more to do with the kids' journey - on their last night together - to get Echo home.
Too often do I find myself nodding off at these kids movies. This isn't the kid movie you think it is. Lots of action, suspense, and humor - with an edge, yet I'm pretty sure there is no profanity...and no violence. Here is a little gem that I fear that will get lost in the mix of all of the other Summer blockbusters, but hopefully a little word-of-mouth can make this a surprise hit.
This film is something like ET meets Wall-E, in a modern style. Solid entertainment for kids and people who don't care about realism that much. I do enjoyed the film and it definitely deserves a better rating than 5.8 (the actual IMDb-rating) Don't get bothered by the people complaining this movie is just a bad copy of ET. It is done for people who are young right now wanting to enjoy a solid movie and not the old ones living in the past. Sure ET, the old Indiana Jones movies and the other stuff was great, but that doesn't mean new movies are bad by definition.
Whatever, if you want to enjoy some light entertainment made for kids you can definitely be happy with this one - but don't expect a mindblowing classic ;)
Whatever, if you want to enjoy some light entertainment made for kids you can definitely be happy with this one - but don't expect a mindblowing classic ;)
- the_black_dog
- Oct 7, 2014
- Permalink
I was really excited about this movie after watching the trailer. Unfortunately, I think the trailer picked up the most stable of the shots.
Although there was a strong resemblance to E.T., and I could relate to The Goonies too a little bit, the movie got off to a good start and it maintained the pace throughout.
Three buddies, Tuck, Alex and Munch are soon to be separated by a construction project causing their families to move. Tuck, an amateur videographer almost always has a camera handy and tapes all moments with his friends. A few days before the move, all their cell phones start behaving weirdly. Alex discovers it's a map and soon their last night together turns into an adventure. Tuck tapes the whole adventure and we see the story from whatever was taped (found footage).
Cons: 1. Shaky cam - I'm usually neutral to shaky cam. I know it's supposed to be amateur footage, but why subject the audience to a dizzying IMAX screen of shaky cam the entire length of the movie? I was fortunately sitting in the back but I felt sorry for the people in the front rows. If you're prone to motion sickness, do not watch this. Even I take better videos than this with my hand-held camera.
2. Screen time of Echo - Given that the movie is about an alien, the screen time of Echo is very less. I would have loved to see more of Echo definitely. The departure of Echo is rather abrupt.
3. Unnecessary character - Emma was definitely a purposefully introduced and totally unnecessary character.
Pros: 1. Good acting - By all the three kids. They did their part well.
2. Good soundtrack - I think the music plays only for a few minutes in the movie but I liked it.
3. Good graphics - The graphics were really nice. Echo and rest of the sequences were well done.
Like another review, I would consider this more of a good rental movie than one that's good to see in the theater.
Although there was a strong resemblance to E.T., and I could relate to The Goonies too a little bit, the movie got off to a good start and it maintained the pace throughout.
Three buddies, Tuck, Alex and Munch are soon to be separated by a construction project causing their families to move. Tuck, an amateur videographer almost always has a camera handy and tapes all moments with his friends. A few days before the move, all their cell phones start behaving weirdly. Alex discovers it's a map and soon their last night together turns into an adventure. Tuck tapes the whole adventure and we see the story from whatever was taped (found footage).
Cons: 1. Shaky cam - I'm usually neutral to shaky cam. I know it's supposed to be amateur footage, but why subject the audience to a dizzying IMAX screen of shaky cam the entire length of the movie? I was fortunately sitting in the back but I felt sorry for the people in the front rows. If you're prone to motion sickness, do not watch this. Even I take better videos than this with my hand-held camera.
2. Screen time of Echo - Given that the movie is about an alien, the screen time of Echo is very less. I would have loved to see more of Echo definitely. The departure of Echo is rather abrupt.
3. Unnecessary character - Emma was definitely a purposefully introduced and totally unnecessary character.
Pros: 1. Good acting - By all the three kids. They did their part well.
2. Good soundtrack - I think the music plays only for a few minutes in the movie but I liked it.
3. Good graphics - The graphics were really nice. Echo and rest of the sequences were well done.
Like another review, I would consider this more of a good rental movie than one that's good to see in the theater.
I really liked this film. It's a fun Kids adventure in the vein of Goonies, Big, No Batteries Required or The Last Star Fighter. I guess similarities could be drawn with ET but only in as far as it's a Sci Fi film with kids in it. It's funny, well acted by the kids and I found it heart warming and exciting. Its not so much "found footage" as shot and narrated by the kids themselves but in a far more watchable way. I guess if you're not a fan of that then his isn't the film for you. It's not big budget but in now way is it "low budget". It relies on the actors to tell the story and on the story itself, not on millions of pounds worth of special effects. What special effects it uses are very well done and integrated seamlessly. Definitely worth watching!!!
We got in for an early screening of this movie, not knowing quite what it would be, just that it had kids and a cute little alien. Even not being kids ourselves, we were extra happy throughout it. It really goes from the children's perspective, as they record what they see with small cameras attached to their bikes and their glasses and their hands. The plot was nice, and we had a few good laughs throughout.
It's a great one to bring the kids to, or just a nice movie to check out. The first person and sci-fi elements made you feel like you were a part of it, and you had to help the little alien out.
Granted, it's not perfect. Sometimes there are things that the kids do which really feel like it's something kids shouldn't be doing, and the plot it fairly predictable. But still, if you want just an easy going time, it'll work out well.
It's a great one to bring the kids to, or just a nice movie to check out. The first person and sci-fi elements made you feel like you were a part of it, and you had to help the little alien out.
Granted, it's not perfect. Sometimes there are things that the kids do which really feel like it's something kids shouldn't be doing, and the plot it fairly predictable. But still, if you want just an easy going time, it'll work out well.
- Christoph56
- Jun 14, 2014
- Permalink
(1) It just steals the E.T. plot line without much improvement. It even steals the concept of finger touch in its poster.
(2) The bicycle riding, and echo saved them from the truck (E.T. make the bike flying), all too familiar.
(3) Echo as a character is very poorly presented and developed.
(4) The kids are not as adorable as those in E.T.
(5) The female character is added awkwardly, almost as an afterthought.
(6) This is the super annoying one, the found footage technique. It is not a horror movie, can we not use this for a kid's movie? It is just uninspiring.
(2) The bicycle riding, and echo saved them from the truck (E.T. make the bike flying), all too familiar.
(3) Echo as a character is very poorly presented and developed.
(4) The kids are not as adorable as those in E.T.
(5) The female character is added awkwardly, almost as an afterthought.
(6) This is the super annoying one, the found footage technique. It is not a horror movie, can we not use this for a kid's movie? It is just uninspiring.
In a lot of ways, you've seen it all before. Earth To Echo lifts the plot from E.T. (an extraterrestrial being enlists the help of ordinary kids to find his way home), scrounges up its characters from any number of coming-of-age films, and shoots it all in the found-footage format that has become all the rage in recent years. The story is simple and predictable, the outcome hardly ever in doubt. And yet, Earth To Echo conjures up a unique charm of its own, finding plenty of heart and humour in the friendships between a trio of small boys teetering on the brink of growing up.
The film opens in a perfectly ordinary suburban neighbourhood in America, one that's about to be levelled for the construction of a brand new highway. This does not sit well, of course, with a trio of best buddies who must move away from one another: cocky, camera-crazy Tuck (Brian 'Astro' Bradley); sensitive foster child Alex (Teo Halm); and nervous, earnest Munch (Reese Hartwig). The day before the moving trucks arrive, the boys decide to investigate a mystery: their phones have been scrambled with what looks like a map. Their discovery brings them a new friend - the pining Echo of the film's title - but also a host of stern, unwavering adults determined to keep Echo grounded.
It's not much of a plot, and Earth To Echo marches forward with near-resolute predictability. There's a scared kid who wants to turn back (Munch), an argument threatens to break up a friendship (Tuck leaves Alex behind at a crucial point, which touches a sore nerve), they pick up a fourth wheel in the form of feisty Emma (Ella Wahlestedt). Some of the messages suggested in the havoc and chaos of the film, especially when Echo's enemies on Earth draw closer, are a little murky. Not one of the adults comes across as a fully-rounded character: they're played either as outright villains or peripheral comic relief.
That being said, there's an undeniable spark of life to the film, one shaded with the electric charge and colour of childhood: a time when friends made are friends made for life, and moral choices come in far fewer shades of grey. Viewed through the eyes of its young protagonists - and their counterparts in the audience - the film is a rollicking joy-ride, bursting with energy and packed with thrilling action beats. Echo, too, is wonderfully designed, a tiny, adorable bundle of metallic beeps and chirps. The found-footage approach gets a little belaboured by the end, switching perspectives from spy-cam to security footage, but it also allows intimate, cheeky access to this little band of brothers.
The film rests quite squarely upon the shoulders of its young actors, and they are very good indeed. In fact, they seem almost perfectly at home in front of the various cameras, their banter so natural that it feels improvised rather than scripted. Halm shines as brooding heartthrob-in-the-making Alex, his personal history bonding him almost instantly with poor, lonely Echo. Bradley is all swagger, his bossiness barely concealing the almost casual neglect he suffers at home. The real standout, however, is Hartwig, who invests Munch with a big, quaking heart: he brings to vivid life a little boy who would ordinarily be the butt of many a playground joke, but who, alongside his best buddies, gets to be something of a hero here.
There's no denying that Earth To Echo will feel terribly familiar in parts, and painfully predictable in others. But it's a film that manages to charm and surprise in spite of itself: the characters are lively, the story engaging, and the special effects far better than some earlier scenes would suggest. It operates with plenty of modern trappings - each kid has a smartphone, cameras are everywhere - but is really a sweet, old-fashioned story about the deep, magical friendships forged in the heart and fire of childhood.
The film opens in a perfectly ordinary suburban neighbourhood in America, one that's about to be levelled for the construction of a brand new highway. This does not sit well, of course, with a trio of best buddies who must move away from one another: cocky, camera-crazy Tuck (Brian 'Astro' Bradley); sensitive foster child Alex (Teo Halm); and nervous, earnest Munch (Reese Hartwig). The day before the moving trucks arrive, the boys decide to investigate a mystery: their phones have been scrambled with what looks like a map. Their discovery brings them a new friend - the pining Echo of the film's title - but also a host of stern, unwavering adults determined to keep Echo grounded.
It's not much of a plot, and Earth To Echo marches forward with near-resolute predictability. There's a scared kid who wants to turn back (Munch), an argument threatens to break up a friendship (Tuck leaves Alex behind at a crucial point, which touches a sore nerve), they pick up a fourth wheel in the form of feisty Emma (Ella Wahlestedt). Some of the messages suggested in the havoc and chaos of the film, especially when Echo's enemies on Earth draw closer, are a little murky. Not one of the adults comes across as a fully-rounded character: they're played either as outright villains or peripheral comic relief.
That being said, there's an undeniable spark of life to the film, one shaded with the electric charge and colour of childhood: a time when friends made are friends made for life, and moral choices come in far fewer shades of grey. Viewed through the eyes of its young protagonists - and their counterparts in the audience - the film is a rollicking joy-ride, bursting with energy and packed with thrilling action beats. Echo, too, is wonderfully designed, a tiny, adorable bundle of metallic beeps and chirps. The found-footage approach gets a little belaboured by the end, switching perspectives from spy-cam to security footage, but it also allows intimate, cheeky access to this little band of brothers.
The film rests quite squarely upon the shoulders of its young actors, and they are very good indeed. In fact, they seem almost perfectly at home in front of the various cameras, their banter so natural that it feels improvised rather than scripted. Halm shines as brooding heartthrob-in-the-making Alex, his personal history bonding him almost instantly with poor, lonely Echo. Bradley is all swagger, his bossiness barely concealing the almost casual neglect he suffers at home. The real standout, however, is Hartwig, who invests Munch with a big, quaking heart: he brings to vivid life a little boy who would ordinarily be the butt of many a playground joke, but who, alongside his best buddies, gets to be something of a hero here.
There's no denying that Earth To Echo will feel terribly familiar in parts, and painfully predictable in others. But it's a film that manages to charm and surprise in spite of itself: the characters are lively, the story engaging, and the special effects far better than some earlier scenes would suggest. It operates with plenty of modern trappings - each kid has a smartphone, cameras are everywhere - but is really a sweet, old-fashioned story about the deep, magical friendships forged in the heart and fire of childhood.
- shawneofthedead
- Sep 2, 2014
- Permalink
This movie was cheaply made, along the lines of Paranormal Activity, web cam horror flicks, etc. As has been stated by several other reviewers, it is a cheap knock-off of E.T.
We were misled by the poster, which made us feel it would be a great movie for our 7 yr old. NOT! The movie had the characters in bars, teen parties with kissing and alcohol consumption, etc.
Parental concerns aside, the movie was nothing more than a hurried, choppy view from a portable cam.
Save your money and watch a Youtube video...which is what this 'movie' really was.
We were misled by the poster, which made us feel it would be a great movie for our 7 yr old. NOT! The movie had the characters in bars, teen parties with kissing and alcohol consumption, etc.
Parental concerns aside, the movie was nothing more than a hurried, choppy view from a portable cam.
Save your money and watch a Youtube video...which is what this 'movie' really was.
- tracy-miller2048
- Jul 2, 2014
- Permalink
- djhannen75
- Jun 20, 2014
- Permalink
I took my Grandson to see this movie thinking it would be a nice non- animated movie. It was awful. The people in front of us walked out within 20 minutes and I wish we had. It is all about the boys and very little about the alien. And they should warn you that the filming is shaky and poor. It looks like a home movie. The trailers lead you to believe this is about finding an alien. It is about adolescent boys. If you enjoy listening to adolescent conversation you might like it. The story is also lacking in background and therefore difficult for younger children to follow what or why things are happening. I found it very boring and slow moving. I would NOT recommend this movie
Kids movies seem to be monopolized these days by Disney with their numerous animated masterpieces acting as a beacon for families to flock to the theater. Yet there are a few studios outside of the enterprise that still dare to dream and break the mold. My review focuses on Relativity Media's latest production of Earth To Echo, a science fiction journey for the new age. Now from first trailers and a few reviews, the description is pretty much a new version of E.T. with less organic alien and more Wall-E. Yet I wanted to get a look myself at what this feature had to answer the question: Is it really just an E.T. knock off, or is there something more? What were my thoughts? Read on to find out.
In agreement with my fellow reviewers, I do agree that Echo has a lot of similarities to Spielberg's original work. The story in particular matches the classic tale of earthlings, in this case kids, stumbling upon an alien life form stranded on our majestic planet. It's goal? Merely to find it's way home and avoid harming humans in the process. From there though, the tale becomes a patchwork of references to other movies, whose qualities we haven't seen for some time. Now this takes away from the originality I will agree, but I was pleased with the integration. Movies today tend to forgo the art of story telling for the top of the line CGI and special effects, hoping the visuals and "action" will please the audience. Earth to Echo returns to what the classics do though, bringing about simplistic shots and sequences and focusing on the adventure. The simplistic journey of riding bikes into the unknown pays tribute to E.T., while the bonds of true friendship and enjoying the time of youth references The Goonies; both movies that are still in high demand to this day. One gets brought into the adventure from the first person perspective of video cameras, ala Cloverfield, adding further depth to the movie to bring you deeper into the tale.
Although simplistic and predictable, the adventure is fun and entertaining for kids and the kid at heart. It takes one back to the days of exploring the world around you, grabbing your toys and gadgets and creating quests from the mundane world. For reviewers like me, such adventure is the true magic of movies, and brings fun and enjoyment that modern films seem to lack these days. Packed into the adventure are some deeper morals, built around the characters' problems, which are the typical back-stories you see in most tales, i.e. neglect and abandonment issues. These morals though are very touching, and gave me goose bumps as the issues resolved themselves. Sure the presentation is a bit cheesy, overdramatized with just the right music to get the emotions going, but I still think it was well executed to drive the point home. Those looking for twists and turns are going to be disappointed in this film, as there are none present, which is pretty typical for a kids movie.
Of course with how much fun I had in the movie, there are some faults that older fans might get caught up on. First thing is the fact of the kid's leaving the house, which becomes completely unnoticed nor questioned by anyone. Such negligence is rather comical, but I guess necessary to allow for unrestricted access to the frontier. The second weakness comes in the fact that these kids manage to travel miles of open highway in the span of a few hours on just bicycles. Now we see this in the tour de France, but the mileage they cover takes days not hours. The convenient lack of cars on a major highway is something else that is a bit stretched as well, and when it is populated no one seems to have any concerns or hesitation to stop. A third weakness is how easy the kids were able to get in/break in to businesses and again the lack of questions or obstacles they had to face. Apparently everyone in this town are idiots because the kids were able to get away with felonies at the drop of a hat. As for the first person camera angle, it is much more stable than some of the films, but there are a few points where it gets dizzying, often when they are doing a panorama shot or fleeing from the cops. Finally comes Echo, the little robot is adorable, his squeaks and infantile design will met the hearts for most of the people coming to this film. While a bit of a knockoff of Wall-E's Eve, the little dude will most likely have action figures and stuffed toys coming soon. Unfortunately you don't see much of the little guy as the movie tends to focus on the boys and his outer shell than the actual robot. I assume they cut his time short, to save some money, but for a movie about a robot, well you expect a little more screen time for their hard work.
While Earth to Echo is not the most original movie, it takes a step back to the art of storytelling while maintaining some technological features. The kids they hired to act did a nice job, and all the other mentioned elements are combined to bring one into a fun adventure. Honestly, this may have been the first movie I've had fun seeing in a long time. While there are some stretches here and there, and their title star was lacking, I think this a great movie to see.
My scores for Earth to Echo are:
Adventure/Family/Sci-Fi: 8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0
In agreement with my fellow reviewers, I do agree that Echo has a lot of similarities to Spielberg's original work. The story in particular matches the classic tale of earthlings, in this case kids, stumbling upon an alien life form stranded on our majestic planet. It's goal? Merely to find it's way home and avoid harming humans in the process. From there though, the tale becomes a patchwork of references to other movies, whose qualities we haven't seen for some time. Now this takes away from the originality I will agree, but I was pleased with the integration. Movies today tend to forgo the art of story telling for the top of the line CGI and special effects, hoping the visuals and "action" will please the audience. Earth to Echo returns to what the classics do though, bringing about simplistic shots and sequences and focusing on the adventure. The simplistic journey of riding bikes into the unknown pays tribute to E.T., while the bonds of true friendship and enjoying the time of youth references The Goonies; both movies that are still in high demand to this day. One gets brought into the adventure from the first person perspective of video cameras, ala Cloverfield, adding further depth to the movie to bring you deeper into the tale.
Although simplistic and predictable, the adventure is fun and entertaining for kids and the kid at heart. It takes one back to the days of exploring the world around you, grabbing your toys and gadgets and creating quests from the mundane world. For reviewers like me, such adventure is the true magic of movies, and brings fun and enjoyment that modern films seem to lack these days. Packed into the adventure are some deeper morals, built around the characters' problems, which are the typical back-stories you see in most tales, i.e. neglect and abandonment issues. These morals though are very touching, and gave me goose bumps as the issues resolved themselves. Sure the presentation is a bit cheesy, overdramatized with just the right music to get the emotions going, but I still think it was well executed to drive the point home. Those looking for twists and turns are going to be disappointed in this film, as there are none present, which is pretty typical for a kids movie.
Of course with how much fun I had in the movie, there are some faults that older fans might get caught up on. First thing is the fact of the kid's leaving the house, which becomes completely unnoticed nor questioned by anyone. Such negligence is rather comical, but I guess necessary to allow for unrestricted access to the frontier. The second weakness comes in the fact that these kids manage to travel miles of open highway in the span of a few hours on just bicycles. Now we see this in the tour de France, but the mileage they cover takes days not hours. The convenient lack of cars on a major highway is something else that is a bit stretched as well, and when it is populated no one seems to have any concerns or hesitation to stop. A third weakness is how easy the kids were able to get in/break in to businesses and again the lack of questions or obstacles they had to face. Apparently everyone in this town are idiots because the kids were able to get away with felonies at the drop of a hat. As for the first person camera angle, it is much more stable than some of the films, but there are a few points where it gets dizzying, often when they are doing a panorama shot or fleeing from the cops. Finally comes Echo, the little robot is adorable, his squeaks and infantile design will met the hearts for most of the people coming to this film. While a bit of a knockoff of Wall-E's Eve, the little dude will most likely have action figures and stuffed toys coming soon. Unfortunately you don't see much of the little guy as the movie tends to focus on the boys and his outer shell than the actual robot. I assume they cut his time short, to save some money, but for a movie about a robot, well you expect a little more screen time for their hard work.
While Earth to Echo is not the most original movie, it takes a step back to the art of storytelling while maintaining some technological features. The kids they hired to act did a nice job, and all the other mentioned elements are combined to bring one into a fun adventure. Honestly, this may have been the first movie I've had fun seeing in a long time. While there are some stretches here and there, and their title star was lacking, I think this a great movie to see.
My scores for Earth to Echo are:
Adventure/Family/Sci-Fi: 8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0
They don't make preteen movies like this anymore. I really want someone to do a rip-off of the Goonies next, cause that's my favorite.
Similar to The Spielberg, Abrams project called Super 8, but I definitely like this one better, but that's only because someone else was ripping off big Steve instead of himself.
The movie even has the same formulated plot of kids discovering aliens and as they bond with the extra terrestrial the government tries to find them and capture their friend when all their friend wants to do is go home.
The movie's biggest advantage is the young exceptional cast. I believe their friendship was genuine, which made their adventure to help their friend better. The kid called Munch reminded me of chunk form the Goonies, so he was my fav.
The alien was pretty cool too. It was very alien but at the same time something familiar too it. The science geek inside me loved the fact that it looked like a machine (How else could it survive long enough in space to get to Earth).
Cool Alien, Cool Kids, but the plot was a carbon copy of ET that would not have been a problem if the film was able to give me the same heart warming feeling that I got from the 80s classic, but it didn't.
The only reason why I'd tell you to see the flick was so it would make enough money to constitute someone else attempting to rip-off ET(or Goonies) so we can get another in the genre.
Similar to The Spielberg, Abrams project called Super 8, but I definitely like this one better, but that's only because someone else was ripping off big Steve instead of himself.
The movie even has the same formulated plot of kids discovering aliens and as they bond with the extra terrestrial the government tries to find them and capture their friend when all their friend wants to do is go home.
The movie's biggest advantage is the young exceptional cast. I believe their friendship was genuine, which made their adventure to help their friend better. The kid called Munch reminded me of chunk form the Goonies, so he was my fav.
The alien was pretty cool too. It was very alien but at the same time something familiar too it. The science geek inside me loved the fact that it looked like a machine (How else could it survive long enough in space to get to Earth).
Cool Alien, Cool Kids, but the plot was a carbon copy of ET that would not have been a problem if the film was able to give me the same heart warming feeling that I got from the 80s classic, but it didn't.
The only reason why I'd tell you to see the flick was so it would make enough money to constitute someone else attempting to rip-off ET(or Goonies) so we can get another in the genre.
- bbickley13-921-58664
- Jul 1, 2014
- Permalink
Disclaimer.... I should say i watched it with some kids or so ,.. but okok i admit i didn't, i watched it alone. :)
Yea you know some new version kinda of ET, why not, OK its for kids by kids which is often very very awful and stupid but hey i gave it a shot. ----- Technical: So first, this Movie is a found Footage Movie which isn't clear in the Trailer. I usually hate em, but this one is for me between bearable and OK. They made it mostly stable enough to watch it, not to super shaky and often Filmed quiet well so it makes it believable that this is actually the hobby of one of the Kids.
It also has good special effects. Very Good BUT sadly to clean, to you know Disney. But it aplys some really nice ideas you will know what i mean when you see them. ---- Cast: So it was given the main cast are exclusively kids relatively mature. The Acting is between OK and very good by the Kids, but as so often in this kind of Movies awful by the Adults.
but its not their fault alone as you will see below --- Story: ***little spoilers but i try to write around them*** The Story itself, well its kinda ET, actually it is ET, adapted to a new kind of youth society and new kind of expectation of the audience.
However, the Adults - specially the Evil ones - acting stupid. Specially after the Diner Scene (you will know :) Many things didn't add up at all, not even remotely, they simply didn't make any sense.
I don't understand why someone would write such stupidity, its an Insult not only for adults but for every 9-10 year old and above, maybe even below.
The Storyline really hurts the Movie, even there are some nice ideas, they often lack on explanation in any form with a mix of many things and specially behavior by the evil guys which - i cant say this often enough - doesn't make any kind of sense.
However overall its still OK because of the main cast and that alien and this innocent but still not boring action. ----
The Alien: Many Reviews criticize thats more about the kids and not about the alien. Well i wouldn't agree with that. The Alien has a lot of screen Time and interaction - i don't know if more or less like ET but i think enough. Yes the story is mainly from the viewpoint of those kids and a lot about them, but that doesn't really hurt here. Could it be more ? Yes but not a lot more. All together it was quiet OK. --- Verdict: Its very hard to make kind of Action Scifi Movie thats not boring without real violence without getting into much stupidity. I mean how can you make it believable to have on one hand well trained evil adults vs some kids and they still win without making the adults real idiots or moving from scifi to Fantasy. Its not easy.
ET was one of those who really could achieve that.
Sadly this film could not entirely, partly we find this stupidity here to avoid more serious confrontation and keep the story going.
However in other parts this movie does not avoid this and still excellently keeps its peacefully and innocent. Its really sad that they kept this the hole movie, it could have been a real buster. You will know what i mean in the truck-scene :)
So its it a worthy kinda Remake of ET... well no.. almost.. but not there yet. It had some potential but it was wasted on to many story-holes and to bad writing on some parts.
Still worth watching,.. yes.. maybe because of the massively declining quality of films nowadays but it is better then most of the trash we are forced to watch.
Yea you know some new version kinda of ET, why not, OK its for kids by kids which is often very very awful and stupid but hey i gave it a shot. ----- Technical: So first, this Movie is a found Footage Movie which isn't clear in the Trailer. I usually hate em, but this one is for me between bearable and OK. They made it mostly stable enough to watch it, not to super shaky and often Filmed quiet well so it makes it believable that this is actually the hobby of one of the Kids.
It also has good special effects. Very Good BUT sadly to clean, to you know Disney. But it aplys some really nice ideas you will know what i mean when you see them. ---- Cast: So it was given the main cast are exclusively kids relatively mature. The Acting is between OK and very good by the Kids, but as so often in this kind of Movies awful by the Adults.
but its not their fault alone as you will see below --- Story: ***little spoilers but i try to write around them*** The Story itself, well its kinda ET, actually it is ET, adapted to a new kind of youth society and new kind of expectation of the audience.
However, the Adults - specially the Evil ones - acting stupid. Specially after the Diner Scene (you will know :) Many things didn't add up at all, not even remotely, they simply didn't make any sense.
I don't understand why someone would write such stupidity, its an Insult not only for adults but for every 9-10 year old and above, maybe even below.
The Storyline really hurts the Movie, even there are some nice ideas, they often lack on explanation in any form with a mix of many things and specially behavior by the evil guys which - i cant say this often enough - doesn't make any kind of sense.
However overall its still OK because of the main cast and that alien and this innocent but still not boring action. ----
The Alien: Many Reviews criticize thats more about the kids and not about the alien. Well i wouldn't agree with that. The Alien has a lot of screen Time and interaction - i don't know if more or less like ET but i think enough. Yes the story is mainly from the viewpoint of those kids and a lot about them, but that doesn't really hurt here. Could it be more ? Yes but not a lot more. All together it was quiet OK. --- Verdict: Its very hard to make kind of Action Scifi Movie thats not boring without real violence without getting into much stupidity. I mean how can you make it believable to have on one hand well trained evil adults vs some kids and they still win without making the adults real idiots or moving from scifi to Fantasy. Its not easy.
ET was one of those who really could achieve that.
Sadly this film could not entirely, partly we find this stupidity here to avoid more serious confrontation and keep the story going.
However in other parts this movie does not avoid this and still excellently keeps its peacefully and innocent. Its really sad that they kept this the hole movie, it could have been a real buster. You will know what i mean in the truck-scene :)
So its it a worthy kinda Remake of ET... well no.. almost.. but not there yet. It had some potential but it was wasted on to many story-holes and to bad writing on some parts.
Still worth watching,.. yes.. maybe because of the massively declining quality of films nowadays but it is better then most of the trash we are forced to watch.
"Earth to Echo" is directed by Dave Green. This film is a found-footage film, which is a genre that is starting to annoy the living hell out of me. Right out of the gate, I will say that this film looked terrible. I thought it looked very much like E.T. While it did resemble E.T. in many ways, this film actually wasn't terrible. I found myself actually enjoying the film more than I thought I would, and I credit that mostly to the kid actors. The direction taken in this film is turns out to be pretty interesting, and the visuals are pretty good. Overall this is a pretty good kids movie, and it's definitely worth a Blu-ray/DVD rental at least
- TheMovieVlog
- Jun 30, 2014
- Permalink
I was so disappointed. I expected an ET experience. What I got was vertigo. The hand-held cameras upset my equilibrium and that of my companion. We had to leave 30 minutes in to avoid embarrassing ourselves and creating a "Stand By Me" situation, if you follow . . . Avoiding hand-held cam films in future. A little queasy just remembering . . . Other reviews mention scenes unfit for young children (alcohol, etc.) Unfortunately, we didn't stay long enough to be offended. Interesting concept, poorly executed. And I was ready to be executed before I got myself out of there and regained my sense of up and down. Too bad, too. This was my sister's one chance for respite while caring for her husband, a cancer patient. I picked it because Tammy seemed disgusting. Go figure . . .
To those who want to watch 'Earth to Echo', please be informed that this is a vertigo inducing film due to it's constant 'shakiness'. This is another film that makes use of the 'found-footage' genre and incorporating it with visual images from using GoPro-like cameras. Those who often play 'Counterstrike' video games might not experience the same thing. Here we have a film that brings back memories from watching those classic late 80's and early 90's sci-fi films. 'Earth to Echo' has a lot of elements borrowed from other films like 'E.T', 'Batteries Not Included', 'Flight of the Navigator' and 'Short Circuit and maybe a bit of 'Monsters Squad' thrown in as well. Now imagine the film being shown through a shaky camera lens ala 'Cloverfield' and 'Chronicle'. And there you have it
.an adventure science fiction film starring a group of teenagers on a quest to help an extraterrestrial find its way home, seen through the camera lens of one of the kid who happens to have a habit of filming his surroundings and posting them on Youtube. So, if you feel like watching a feel good family flick and have immunity to shaky camera work then this is definitely a movie for you.
- matthewssilverhammer
- Jul 13, 2014
- Permalink
Tone, Script & Story: There are many movies that are based on plot that an alien is trapped on our planet earth and one or few of the earthlings help that alien get to its spaceship to escape earth. Some of the examples of such movies are Koi Mil gaya (Bollywood), PK (Bollywood), Super 8, Midnight Special, Earth to Echo and the list goes on. The first of this type of movie was E. T the Extraterrestrial directed by Steven Spielberg (being older cinema I have not watched it). For me, the script never gets old. I have liked the mentioned movies even if the difference introduced is little. Earth to Echo is one such movie.
I won't get into deeper discussion as it would turn out to be spoiler. All I want to say is I like the script to build up the key to the spaceship which finally escapes. The parts moving here and there, assembling-disassembling are easy on eyes. You enjoy them.
Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography: Justified. Assembling -Disassembling of mechanical parts is an eye treat. The alien itself appears in silver suit small in size is pleasant to watch.
Final Verdict: Inspired script that you enjoy watching.
I won't get into deeper discussion as it would turn out to be spoiler. All I want to say is I like the script to build up the key to the spaceship which finally escapes. The parts moving here and there, assembling-disassembling are easy on eyes. You enjoy them.
Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography: Justified. Assembling -Disassembling of mechanical parts is an eye treat. The alien itself appears in silver suit small in size is pleasant to watch.
Final Verdict: Inspired script that you enjoy watching.
- janet-m-barbieri
- Jul 4, 2014
- Permalink
After reading some reviews on this movie, we did not have high expectations. However, we thought we'd give it a shot anyway, as we tend to often not like movies that "the masses" praise anyway. We loved this film. The home-made video style made it feel real, the characters were funny, natural and believable. The actors were also unknown to us - often a plus. There was a nice little dose of suspense and action, and the moral message was appealing to our sense of values regarding other living beings. The bittersweet ending also sat well with us. Thoroughly enjoyed by a preteen, teenager and mom. Highly recommend giving this film a chance. It's not all Hollywood, cars don't blow up, there's no profanity or violence, but it's adorable, and cool enough for a teenage dude.
I get that people are annoyed by the found footage style. Same here with me. But this is a kids movie and comparing it with horror movies or implying they shouldn't use that technique is not the issue here. And that it does copy ET or Super 8 (whichever you have watched first yourself and liked rightly very much) is not helping anyone either ... least you as a viewer.
This is a kids movie and it does a good job putting together a band of young kids (who are doing a good job considering the fantasy element of the movie), on a journey that is adventurous. You'll either find the inner kid in yourself or you'll find this boring, that's a fact. But try not to blame the movie for that
This is a kids movie and it does a good job putting together a band of young kids (who are doing a good job considering the fantasy element of the movie), on a journey that is adventurous. You'll either find the inner kid in yourself or you'll find this boring, that's a fact. But try not to blame the movie for that
I had to stop watching after 30 minutes. It was giving me a headache.
My kids said it was OK.
Nothing impressive.
I couldn't stand it.
It really lacks any originality in my eyes.
I guess if you are 9 years old, you haven't seem many of the classics.
Or, they aren't very impressive.
This ten line min is a fail when it comes to reviewing.
I don't need to read a short story when I'm looking up reviews on new movies.
Please stop making this a requirement.
My kids said it was OK.
Nothing impressive.
I couldn't stand it.
It really lacks any originality in my eyes.
I guess if you are 9 years old, you haven't seem many of the classics.
Or, they aren't very impressive.
This ten line min is a fail when it comes to reviewing.
I don't need to read a short story when I'm looking up reviews on new movies.
Please stop making this a requirement.
- jimsmail79
- Jan 23, 2015
- Permalink
Earth To Echo seems like some scenes in it were very similar to E.T. and Super 8 Do no Go See This movie it is awful. it seems that they copy wrote E.T. and Super 8 but put them together. This movie should have never been Made. Let me just tell you this this movie is awful and gets very boring because it Reminds me of E.T. and Super 8. oh and This coming up week I would rather You all see Tammy because Tammy you can see and you wouldn't have to waste your money. I know this movie looks cool to your kids but it is really just an Awful Movie like After Earth was. Please don't go see this movie see something else instead of this awful Sci-fi Movie
- blakepatterson2000
- Jun 30, 2014
- Permalink
I have two words to describe this movie...motion sickness! The movie had some really cute young actors that my son enjoyed watching in the first half of the movie. However, when the movie started to become faster paced with more action we started feeling dizzy and rather sick from the camera movement. That was disappointing. I wish I had been warned. The movie would have been much more enjoyable without the crazy camera movement. The young boys were believable as best friends. Their shyness and awkwardness with the girls was sweet. I would have given the movie a 7 rating if we had not felt so dizzy and sick after watching the film. If you are prone to motion sickness and you see the film, sit in the back as far from the screen as possible.