With the 4th of July weekend coming up, the movie line-up has something to offer for all age groups. If you are a regular at the cineplex or read our blog (Thank You), then you would be familiar with recent installment of Transformers, which might continue to reign at the box office regardless of the general critical naysay. But there is a relatively lesser known offering from Relativity Media (pun intended) releasing under the name Earth to Echo. So why am I talking about these two movies in particular? It’s because both of these movies have a transforming alien robot as a central character. So what does the newbie on the block have to offer… lets take a look.
Earth to Echo is the story of four kids and how they help an alien robot that crash landed on Earth find its way back. It starts with Alex, Tuck and Much, three kids from an ordinary neighborhood, who grew up together but are forced to move to different cities due to expressway construction. But things aren’t what they seem, and the kids realize this when all of a sudden, devices start going haywire and they receive a series of encrypted messages on their phones. Making the best of their time together, they decide to follow the signal that leads them to a tiny adorable robot, Echo, who is almost destroyed by its impact on Earth. The kids start interacting with the creature in what looks like a metallic capsule with a series of questions to which the alien blinks in response. After confirming that it "does not eat humans”, the kids, with help from an unwelcomed classmate - Emma, set out on a journey to keep the alien away from scheming government agents and help it build a spaceship to fly home.
Earth to Echo is the story of four kids and how they help an alien robot that crash landed on Earth find its way back. It starts with Alex, Tuck and Much, three kids from an ordinary neighborhood, who grew up together but are forced to move to different cities due to expressway construction. But things aren’t what they seem, and the kids realize this when all of a sudden, devices start going haywire and they receive a series of encrypted messages on their phones. Making the best of their time together, they decide to follow the signal that leads them to a tiny adorable robot, Echo, who is almost destroyed by its impact on Earth. The kids start interacting with the creature in what looks like a metallic capsule with a series of questions to which the alien blinks in response. After confirming that it "does not eat humans”, the kids, with help from an unwelcomed classmate - Emma, set out on a journey to keep the alien away from scheming government agents and help it build a spaceship to fly home.
The movie has been shot in a documentary style and is shown as a series of recordings taken by Tuck, who is a free-time Youtube uploader. This makes it really similar to 2011 movie Super 8. But unlike Super 8, Earth to Echo not only involves kids filming and helping an alien, but is a complete take at the events from the perspective of a child. It tries to stay true to a its audience, that is young kids, with subjects of innocence, friendship, faith and yes, the good old Happy Ending. So much so, that as an adult, it often seems too fairytale-esque. But then again, upon some research, I found out that this movie was originally created by Disney and later taken up for distribution by Relativity.
Earth to Echo at its core is a story that has been used over and over by moviemakers, especially with the success of classics like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Though it has nothing new to offer, what makes Earth to Echo an interesting summer flick is its setup, which should hit the chords with the little ones. Unlike a movie from 80’s or 90’s, you get to see kids with their online world, surrounded by their gadgets and at times behaving like adults yet without losing innocence. The movie also makes noteworthy use of technology to render the movie as a modern take of a classic story. The graphics and SFX are at par with big sci-fi flicks. The actors give a very realistic performance, making an instant connection with the audience. And you can rest assured, if you are dragged to this movie by your toddler or sibling, you won’t be bored.
So overall, Earth to Echo is a summer family movie that the kids would definitely love and the adults could sail through unless accompanied by kids (be warned: do not take your date to this movie unless you are 13 or younger!).
Grade: B
Earth to Echo at its core is a story that has been used over and over by moviemakers, especially with the success of classics like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Though it has nothing new to offer, what makes Earth to Echo an interesting summer flick is its setup, which should hit the chords with the little ones. Unlike a movie from 80’s or 90’s, you get to see kids with their online world, surrounded by their gadgets and at times behaving like adults yet without losing innocence. The movie also makes noteworthy use of technology to render the movie as a modern take of a classic story. The graphics and SFX are at par with big sci-fi flicks. The actors give a very realistic performance, making an instant connection with the audience. And you can rest assured, if you are dragged to this movie by your toddler or sibling, you won’t be bored.
So overall, Earth to Echo is a summer family movie that the kids would definitely love and the adults could sail through unless accompanied by kids (be warned: do not take your date to this movie unless you are 13 or younger!).
Grade: B
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