Review: Earth to Echo

It was evident when watching “Astro” during the first season of the now defunct tv talent competition XFactor, that he would ultimately become a force to reckoned with.

On XFactor, Astro rapped his way into America’s hearts and in his acting debut, history is repeating istself.

Earth to Echo is reminiscent of soooo many films, ET, Close Encounters, Stand By Me and a little movie that terrified America called “Blair Witch Project”. Regardless of all that, I found myself just as invested and caught up in the journey. Why? Because like its lead characters, I too was uprooted from my home, my friends, family and everything familiar when on more than one occasion my Dad would get orders from the Marine Corps to move. Being a military brat was difficult, but not as hard as making new friends and fitting in.

Unlike me, Tuck (Astro), Munch (Reese Hartwig), Alex (Teo Halm) and Emma (Ella Wallestedt) get the opportunity to experience one last night together as friends and thus the adventure begins.

The kids in the screening thoroughly enjoyed it! One three-year old was constantly yelling “AWESOME”, which is exactly how I feel about “Earth To Echo” (even though a good 30 minutes could have been shaved off of a few scenes). Oh a a big shout out to my former Lion King castmate – Sonya Leslie, who plays Tuck’s Mom.

With films that you can take the family to being far, few an in-between, Earth to Echo reminds you of what it was like to “ride or die’ friends as a kid and how your imagination set the stage for adventure – not the buttons on a video game. Earth to Echo opens in theaters TODAY!!!