Kernel Rating (out of 5): 
MPAA Rating: PG Length: 91 minutes
Age Appropriate For: 10+. The film is about a group of friends discovering an alien life form of some kind, but although they look about 11 or 12 years old, they’re (inexplicably) sophomores in high school. So there are some lightly sexually themed jokes, lying to parents, talk of kissing girls, a party that includes drinking, making out, and generally irresponsible behavior from older teens, and a scene set in a bar. There is certainly somewhat of a disconnect between how the film is marketed (for younger kids) and the fact that it ends up being about teenagers.
‘Earth to Echo’ wants to be ‘E.T.,’ with a group of friends finding an alien life form and deciding to protect it. But the movie’s reliance on modern technology and overly basic characters keep it from ever achieving its Spielberg-like dreams.
By Roxana Hadadi
The trick to copying Steven Spielberg is acknowledging that you’re copying Steven Spielberg. That’s how J.J. Abrams got away with his 2011 “Super 8,” which was essentially an homage to “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”: group of kids find an alien, kids are led by a young boy who is going through something emotional and tragic, group of kids and young boy find meaning in their lives and learn to grow up through taking care of said alien. It certainly worked in “E.T.,” one of the first summer blockbusters, and Abrams mimicked to good effect in “Super 8,” which succeeded because of a strong emotional core and solid ensemble cast.
