Earth To Echo tells the story of a bunch of young teenage friends who find a tiny alien robot and help him find his ship and get back to where he belongs. This is pure Spielberg, sprinkled with some Richard Donner and Robert Zemeckis. It’s a shame though that none of the aforementioned directors sat in the directors chair as Earth To Echo, while not original in any shape or form, had the potential to be something great.
Looking like the offspring of Bubo the Owl from Clash Of The Titans and Johnny Five (there’s a movie we’d pay money to see) this is one of the most adorable characters you’re going to see this year. With oodles of personality, mainly provided by huge and charming eyes as well as a few beeps and buzzes, it’s an absolute tragedy that this floating, tin can of charm is completely and utterly underused. While less is more in some cases, this is just taking the piss.
As predictable as the story is (you should know the ending by now) it utilises the found footage genre to deliver it’s tale. From phones (which act as the robots eyes) to camcorders, all are utilised here with decent effect. And while it’s nothing new, it provides a different feel for a movie of this ilk. However, younger viewers may find the whole found footage style confusing and bewildering.
The movie’s young cast (Teo Halm, Astro and Resse Hartwig) are superb, with each of them being entirely relatable to both adults and kids. With a solid chemistry between them and incredibly likeable personas, they will keep audiences stuck to their chairs…..while they wait for another few seconds of screen time from the floating tin can of charm.
The story as predictable as it is, moves along at a solid pace and kids of older ages (4/5 and up) should be able to get something out of it. The movie pushes the ideal that it’s ok to be different and be an individual, but that will be lost on the younger kids. There’s probably not enough here to keep the adults entertained, but when Earth To Echo works, it works very well. It’s just a shame that it’s biggest redeeming feature is so underused. However, it’s worth a watch. Just don’t expect E.T.
