Review of Home (2015) by Jeff B — 13 May 2015

Giving a familiar voice to a silly extraterrestrial adventure, Home might be where the heart is but wit is another matter entirely. This is not to say that DreamWorks Animations latest lacks smarts. In fact, some scenes and characters evince an awesomely playful imagination. Others, however, lack the creative punch to sell through Home as a wholly unique franchise starter. The strikingly spiky design of the villainous Gorg, for instance, demonstrates a mind-blowing amount of ingenuity and talent. The thought balloon-inspired suitcases used by the Boov, however, seem like filler that got left in the final cut after nobody came up with a better idea. The movie is filled with missed potential moments like these. Consider the fact that rival animation unit Pixar scrapped the original team behind Brave when the movie wasnt realizing its full potential. Consider also another DreamWorks Animation production, the How to Train Your Dragon series, which shows so much world-building and eye-popping detail that it boggles adults let alone childrens minds.

In this PG-rated animated family film, an alien named Oh from the Boov race (Parsons) goes the run across Earth from his own people and makes friends with the adventurous Tip (Rihanna), who is on a quest to find her mother.

Okay, so Home isnt as concerned with perfection or minutia. Thankfully, most of the movies gaffes get offset with some impressively emotional beats. Even if the over-used kid flick themes of home and friendship get laid on thick, the relationship between Oh and Tip makes a definite connection with the audience (owing much to some ace voice casting) while the script wrings a few laughs out of the perpetual goofiness. Though it doesnt stand shoulder to shoulder with its contemporaries, its fun enough to earn a free pass even if some of the emotional moments border on outright melancholy.

Bottom line: Earth Girls are Easy Peasie.