Earth to Echo (2014)

 

Number Rolled: 43

Movie Name/Year: Earth to Echo (2014)

Genre: Sci-fi

Length: 91 minutes

Rating: PG

Production Companies: Panay Films, Walt Disney Studios

Executive Producer: Jason Beckman, Robbie Brenner, Jason Colodne, Mark Benton Johnson, Jack Kavanaugh, David Miller, Tucker Tooley

Director: Dave Green

Writer: Henry Gayden, Andrew Panay

Actors: Teo Halm, Astro, Reese Hartwig, Ella Wahlestedt, Jason Gray-Stanford, Cassius Willis, Algee Smith, Sonya Leslie, Kerry O’Malley, Virginia Louise Smith, Peter Mackenzie, Valerie Wildman

When construction forces people out of their home town, a small group of kids bands together to try to have one last night of adventure.

Selina’s Point of View:

When last year’s “Top Ten to Look Out For In July” came out on Trust-the-Dice, this movie was number four. The trailer gave it a Goonies (1985)/Wall-E (2008)/ET (1982) flavor. I didn’t see much of Wall-E in it, but it was definitely an interesting take on an ET-like plot.

I have to note that I had a raging headache before I watched Earth to Echo. That means that the shaky cam was almost unbearable for me. It was a little like staring into the sun with photosensitivity. Never-the-less, I powered through. I’m glad I did.

For the most part, the actors were fine. No one really made me want to throw anything or fall asleep, but one young man stood out among them.

Teo Halm (Nova, Memoria, Bukowski), who played Alex in the film, doesn’t have much under his belt yet. Still, he showed a LOT of skill in this film. I believed every emotion, every heartbreak, and every single action. It was as if he really understood his character; better than most 16-year-old actors would.

It’s come to my attention that he was a part of the Girl Meets World (2014-) pilot as Cory and Topenga’s son; before the show was cut, altered and aired. I’ve been watching the nostalgic show, and I love it, but I’m not sure cutting Halm was the best idea. James Franco (Child of God, As I Lay Dying, The Broken Tower) gets it. He saw something in the kid and scooped him up for at least two movies so far. I expect he’s going to have an amazing career ahead of him.

In the end, the movie was really good. Even with the headache that the shaky cam turned up the volume on.

Cat’s Point of View:

I have been wanting to watch this film for a while now. I mean, who could resist finding out the story behind the adorable little light-up alien from the trailers and all the promotional graphics, right?

I went in to this movie with an expectation to be quite entertained by the story of these kids finding an alien and the adventure that would ensue. What I didn’t expect, and what the film delivered in spades, was that there was some real depth and heart behind this story.

These boys have been friends forever – and they’re not “the cool kids” so all they have is each other. Circumstances are causing them to split up by moving away, and it’s something no one can do anything about.

I think that this film brilliantly encapsulates the depth of their friendship and the emotions surrounding their impending separation.

When I was little, we moved a few times. While I was in the same city, it was easy to keep up with my friends. I moved out of state for a year, but was able to come back to visit occasionally. When I returned to Louisiana, however, we’d moved to a different city – and the loss of contact with the friends I’d grown up with was devastating. These boys’ plight really resonates with me.

This little alien, Echo, gives them hope and takes them on an epic adventure. I love the anticipation of ‘what’s going to happen next?!’ that this film is steeped in. What mayhem is around the next corner?

My daughter and I loved watching this movie together, and I would highly recommend giving this film a chance so you can find out.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 48%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 47%

Netflix’s Prediction for Selina – 4.7/5

Selina’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 4/5

Netflix’s Prediction for Cat – 4.5/5

Cat’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 4.5/5

P.S. There is an extra scene after the credits.

Movie Trailer: