Earth to Echo is a fun remake of ET. Lots of technology interjected in the plot. Teenagers are wizards with cell phones and computers as they are in life. Four children are being forced to move from their homes as development is being torn up for a highway. Or so the residents are being told. These children, Alex(Teo Halm), Tuck (Astro), Munch (Reese Hartwig), Emma (Ella Wallestedt) are feeling ignored by their parents and plan their last overnight in the desert. They have received bizarre messages on their cell phones which they discover are maps to a hidden treasure. Tuck is a videographer who decides to film their adventures. Problem being his talents with the camera do not equal his talents as an actor. Tuck is fun, moves with great agility, but his camera work is wobbly and amateurish, yet it dominates this film. Better yet would have been if the director had used a tripod or a skilled videographer to film these sequences.
In the desert their signals from their cell phones lead them instead to a hidden treasure to a miniature alien reminiscent of ET. Mind you, it has been years since ET was made and our technology has advanced leaps and quantum bounds. So the highlight of this film, besides the fine acting, is the true to life wisdom of our fearless youth with cell phones, cameras, cars anything they put their mitts on concerning technology. The image of the alien is charming and you will route for him as a nasty policemen (Jason Grey-Stanford) tries to destroy him. Grey-Stanford is memorable for his fine work in the TV series Monk in which he played the bumbling policeman.
If you do not object to another remake of ET with cell phones added and the sets updated, this film is for you. The audience was made up of children who all applauded at the end so there appeared to be no objection to this similarity. The acting is so fine that the evening spent watching Earth to Echo will be enjoyable for all ages.