A Kids Movie Rip-Off

Earth To Echo (2014)  –  movie review
As all my regular readers know, I am a sucker for an endearing movie – particularly if it involves Science Fiction.  This one does, but it ain’t.  This movie is an almost good attempt to rip-off almost every kid based SciFi movie you’ve ever seen.  The poster is almost a legally actionable rip-off of E.T.   And it just starts there….
Basically, three socially awkward friends are about to be separated by their families moving to various parts of the country.  Their cell phones go wonky and they spend the evening / night trying to assist an alien rebuild himself and his spacecraft so he can go home  (“E.T. phone home…”).  In the spirit of other movies it’s also trying to rip-off, the movie is shot using selfie-style phone and Go-Pro footage to make it look first person.  It kind of works, but not really.  Just like most of the rest of the movie…
Without giving too much away, the cute little owl-lie alien gets to go home and the boys get to remain friends even though they are separated.  Oh, and there’s a girl thrown into the mix to add a bit of pubescent rom-com for good measure.
Acting?  It’s a kids movie.  Plot?  It’s a kids movie.  Special effects and action?  Okay.  Here it rises above mediocrity and actually has two halfway decent scenes:  one, a truck disintegrates and then is re-formed, and two, the alien ship gets built.  Other than that, it’s a kids movie….
Final recommendation:  moderate recommendation.  If you need a pleasant movie to watch with your niece or nephew – and they are between six and ten – this is a pretty good option.  It will entertain them and it won’t bore you to tears.
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On This Day In:
2021	At Least Not Until Sunset
	Rain On The Leaves
2020	At Least A Little Less
	Two For The Post
2019	Promises, Promises
2018	You Mean There IS Something Else?
2017	Be Good
2016	Raise Yourself
2015	A Kids Movie Rip-Off
2014	Ready, Action!
2013	Responding To Challenges
2012	Abnormal, adj.
2011	Large Families
	On The Brink

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