Earth To Echo

Earth To Echo is a tale told through the eyes of Tuck, Munch, and Alex, a trio of pals who make an out-of-this-world discovery. After receiving signals on their phones, they meet Echo, a small, but amazingly energetic alien trying to make his way back to his home planet. As they race to help their new friend, the boys will discover that little Echo has touched their hearts in unexpected ways and changed their lives forever.

Special features include four featurettes: Creating The Truck Scene (HD 05:22), Casting The Characters (HD 06:47), We Made That! (HD 09:01), and Friends No Matter How Far (HD 08:05); six deleted scenes (HD 05:25); the theatrical trailer; and upfront previews.

The 1.78:1 1080p AVC picture was photographed with the Red Epic digital camera system and framed mostly in 1.85, though, presented on disc in 1.78:1 (a few segments are in 1.33:1). The imagery is mostly hand-held captured and exhibits an intended amateurish appearance. Color fidelity is decent but not great, and the picture is very digital in appearance, with a wide range of visual quality. Daytime segments look the most natural, while the overnight scenes are generally mediocre in appearance. Contrast is mediocre with grayish blacks, and shadow delineation is murky. Resolution is also mediocre, including CGI elements, which are a bit soft looking. Fleshtones, under the circumstances, appear natural as well as colors at times. This is hand-held digital production, with an intended amateurish feel from the perspective of the kids’ adventure.

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is undistinguished, though, dialogue is consistently clear and natural sounding. Otherwise, atmospherics and sound effects are effective when executed, with the .1 LFE channel providing enhanced dynamics during a car-truck chase and the final set piece—the reassembly of Echo's spaceship. In such segments, the surrounds are aggressively energized and enveloping. While the presence of music is limited, until the final scenes, when engaged, it provides additional surround immersion and a dynamic presence. Overall, the soundtrack is serviceable and complements the movie's low-budget, hand-held picture quality.