Earth to Echo
2/4
Starring: Astro, Teo Halm, Reese Hartwig, Ella Wahlestedt
Rated PG for Some Action and Peril, and for Mild Language
"Earth to Echo" is a "found-footage" story that's cobbled together from other better movies like "E.T.: The Extraterrestrial" and "The Goonies," with elements of "Super 8" mixed in (which in and of itself borrowed from movies like the ones I mentioned, only it did a much better job). The result, while not unwatchable, is disappointing.
Three best friends are faced with a sad future: their neighborhood is being bought up to make room for a freeway. One of them, Alex (Teo Halm), is moving away the next day, with Munch (Hartwig) following soon after. When Tuck's (Astro) family is moving away is never stated. Their phones have been scrambled by a mysterious force, and when they realize that instead of being broken, they've turned into maps, the three of them decide to follow it. There, they find a cute little alien they name Echo, who needs help rebuilding himself and getting back to its ship.
There are more than a few problems that hurt the film severely. First, the found footage element isn't done effectively. I'm a big fan of these movies, but filmmakers utilizing them have become sloppy. "The Blair Witch Project" and "Cloverfield" handled this perfectly; the intended effect was never less than entirely convincing. "The Last Exorcism" wasn't far behind. Despite problems in its execution, "Chronicle" still managed to entertain. Here, it's botched. The point of view switches frequently and the screen turns into a souped up version of MapQuest any time the characters need to go somewhere. Such busy-mindedness ruins the effect. The dialogue sounds scripted, which hurts the film even further.
"Busy" is probably the best word to describe the plot. For 90% of the movie, it's the kids going from one place to another like they're on a scavenger hunt. That means plenty of action and movement, but it doesn't allow us to get to know the characters. This limits the poignancy of the fact that this is their last night together. Only the bookending scenes, which deal with this directly, have any emotional impact.
The acting is also less than impressive. The leads aren't particularly engaging, in fact, they can get a little annoying. Munch, despite Tuck's promise to his YouTube following that proclaims otherwise, is annoying. Fortunately, he's gone for most of the final third. Tuck, who narrates the film, got on my nerves occasionally too. The only ones who convince are Teo Halm, whose character is adopted and has abandonment issues, and Ella Wahlestedt, who plays Emma, the girl of their dreams (who ends up getting dragged along).
There are also serious lapses of intelligence, mainly by the adult characters. Granted, they're off screen for the most part, but the government agents who pop up now and again are unbelievably dumb. Surely there was a more creative and intelligent way for the same result to happen.
"Earth to Echo" is not unwatchable. But it falls far short of what it is trying to achieve. You're better off watching "E.T.," "The Goonies," or "Super 8" again. Or for "found footage" junkies, "Cloverfield" or "The Blair Witch Project."
Starring: Astro, Teo Halm, Reese Hartwig, Ella Wahlestedt
Rated PG for Some Action and Peril, and for Mild Language
"Earth to Echo" is a "found-footage" story that's cobbled together from other better movies like "E.T.: The Extraterrestrial" and "The Goonies," with elements of "Super 8" mixed in (which in and of itself borrowed from movies like the ones I mentioned, only it did a much better job). The result, while not unwatchable, is disappointing.
Three best friends are faced with a sad future: their neighborhood is being bought up to make room for a freeway. One of them, Alex (Teo Halm), is moving away the next day, with Munch (Hartwig) following soon after. When Tuck's (Astro) family is moving away is never stated. Their phones have been scrambled by a mysterious force, and when they realize that instead of being broken, they've turned into maps, the three of them decide to follow it. There, they find a cute little alien they name Echo, who needs help rebuilding himself and getting back to its ship.
There are more than a few problems that hurt the film severely. First, the found footage element isn't done effectively. I'm a big fan of these movies, but filmmakers utilizing them have become sloppy. "The Blair Witch Project" and "Cloverfield" handled this perfectly; the intended effect was never less than entirely convincing. "The Last Exorcism" wasn't far behind. Despite problems in its execution, "Chronicle" still managed to entertain. Here, it's botched. The point of view switches frequently and the screen turns into a souped up version of MapQuest any time the characters need to go somewhere. Such busy-mindedness ruins the effect. The dialogue sounds scripted, which hurts the film even further.
"Busy" is probably the best word to describe the plot. For 90% of the movie, it's the kids going from one place to another like they're on a scavenger hunt. That means plenty of action and movement, but it doesn't allow us to get to know the characters. This limits the poignancy of the fact that this is their last night together. Only the bookending scenes, which deal with this directly, have any emotional impact.
The acting is also less than impressive. The leads aren't particularly engaging, in fact, they can get a little annoying. Munch, despite Tuck's promise to his YouTube following that proclaims otherwise, is annoying. Fortunately, he's gone for most of the final third. Tuck, who narrates the film, got on my nerves occasionally too. The only ones who convince are Teo Halm, whose character is adopted and has abandonment issues, and Ella Wahlestedt, who plays Emma, the girl of their dreams (who ends up getting dragged along).
There are also serious lapses of intelligence, mainly by the adult characters. Granted, they're off screen for the most part, but the government agents who pop up now and again are unbelievably dumb. Surely there was a more creative and intelligent way for the same result to happen.
"Earth to Echo" is not unwatchable. But it falls far short of what it is trying to achieve. You're better off watching "E.T.," "The Goonies," or "Super 8" again. Or for "found footage" junkies, "Cloverfield" or "The Blair Witch Project."
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