Welcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where I talk about trailers for upcoming movies.

Normally here on Trailer Tuesday I like to do a deep dive into an individual trailer for a movie, with screencaps and some thoughts/analysis of what that trailer holds.  But every now and then, I prefer instead to show you all of the trailers for one film in one post, hopefully giving a broader view of a film instead of a deeper one.  So today, take a look at the three trailers for Earth to Echo, which comes out July 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgU0ADgkeYQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3eRhyrQONk

What does this film remind you of?  I see a little bit of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and even a smidgen of The Last Mimzy.  I’m definitely a sucker for the “group of kids has a close encounter” sort of movie, especially when it’s outcast, misfit kids fighting against authority for what they know is right.  Earth to Echo seems right up that alley, and hopefully it can follow in the recent footsteps of Super 8, one of my favorite films of the last few years (even if it was an obvious homage to E.T.).

It’s always a tough thing when dealing with a cast of kids to find the right balance and to get good performances out of them.  For every good film with a group this age there are a dozen bad movies, with wooden acting and poor directing.  I know basically nothing about Earth to Echo‘s first-time director, Dave Green, or writer, Henry Gayden.  In some ways the unknown aspect of this film is exciting while in others it can be a bit worrisome.

One new twist on an old formula is the “found footage” aspect of the film.  Obviously, that style of filming has been popular off and on since Blair Witch, but these days it’s branched out from its horror roots.  Sure there are still plenty of Paranormal Activity‘s, but in the past six years we’ve seen found footage versions of monster movies and superhero films.  This style has its drawbacks, of course, from nauseated moviegoers to logical gaps to the annoying reality that people in these situations would stop filming in order to deal with the problems.  On the other hand, it can be an exciting and fresh way to tackle a common type of story.  It will be interesting to see how this sort of film works with kids “behind the camera.”

I won’t delve into the plot of the film, which feels familiar (in a comforting way, not in a boring way) and is pretty clearly spelled out in the trailers.  I will, however, mention once again that I’m a huge sucker for adorable robots.  I mean, look at this face:

How adorable is that?  Come on, don’t tell me you wouldn’t want to help this little guy if he came to you.

I want one of my very own to follow me around and hang out with my own personal WALL-E and Baymax.

But enough about my small obsession with cute robots.  One thing that I find interesting about this film is how quickly it snuck up on me.  While I don’t pretend to know everything about every movie, it’s rare that I learn about a film so soon before its release date.  I first heard about the movie only a few weeks ago, and I’m sure most of the people who saw the trailer before Maleficent were encountering it for the first time.  Interestingly, it seems that Disney created and filmed the movie but sold the distribution rights to Relativity.  I’m not sure whether that’s a lack of confidence in the film, a lack of interest, or simply confusion as to how to get the film out there.

Regardless, I’m excited for Earth to Echo.  It fits squarely into my cinematic comfort zone, while not being so derivative as to be insulting.  The setup for a movie like this is endlessly minable for adolescent drama and shenanigans.  I try to go out of my way to see movies like this, even if I’m occasionally disappointed by the experience, because these smaller, quirkier, more independent science fiction films rarely get made and are even more rarely seen.  A movie with a no-name director, no familiar faces in the cast, telling a story that’s similar to one we’ve seen before is hardly going to fill screens across the country, but that doesn’t make the film unworthy of being noticed.  It may be a huge let down, but I’m eager to give Earth to Echo a shot.

What do you think?  Does Earth to Echo appeal to you?  What other films does it remind you of?  Could Echo be any cuter?  Had you heard of the film before today?  Did I just somehow miss it?  Are you inclined to like any film that has an official tumblr as a major part of its online marketing?  What do you think of the found footage aspect?  Is it important to support new filmmakers, even if the end result may be a disappointment?  Let me know in the comments!