A group of school friends are forced to say their goodbyes when their neighbourhood is sold off to wealthy land developers. On their last night together, they decide to investigate a series of strange electrical disturbances and uncover something amazing. They find a stranded alien life-form that needs their help to get home before the government tracks them all down.
Echoing films like Super 8 and ET, with a kid-friendly Chronicle vibe, Earth to Echo provides plenty of fun and adventure. Using the former horror stalwart of camcorder footage, Earth to Echo uses first-person interaction and tells its tale through the lens of the children documenting their adventure.
The effects are quite good and really know how to get the maximum out of revealing very little. But this isn’t a film that hides behind the shadows and when the finale does come, it gloriously ups the ante to deliver a very memorable series of events (especially one involving lots of cars). The hunt for the source of the electrical disturbances is handled very well by director Dave Green, with suspense and tension suitably building.
Writer Henry Gayden channels movies like The Goonies and Stand By Me by giving his story believable kids you can all champion. All of the young cast hand in very good performances, especially Teo Halm and Reese Hartwig. Their dynamic feels genuine and sincere, which in turn makes their plight all the more involving and invested. Brian ‘Astro’ Bradley gives the film a nice level of comedy and Ella Wahlestedt is on-hand to provide a nice change of pace (and potential love interest) for Halm’s character.
Earth to Echo is a very well made adventure that has something for everyone. There are a few scary scenes, especially for the very young, but that aside Earth to Echo is an enjoyable family caper that deserves a good audience.
