By Bob Bloom
“Home” is an out-of-this-world animated comedy filled with laughs, heart and life lessons. The movie is about family, as well as finding the courage to stand up for what is right.
The Boov, an alien species that runs from trouble instead of facing it, invades Earth, moves all its inhabitants to Australia and takes over the rest of the planet. They overlook one little girl, Tip, and with the help of a klutzy misfit Boov named Oh, she sets out to find her mom.
The laughs aren’t so much because of what happens along the way, but in the bond that slowly forms between the girl and the alien.
Oh, voiced by “The Big Bang Theory’s” Jim Parsons, buys wholeheartedly into the Boov philosophy of fleeing from danger, while the plucky Tip, voiced by Rihanna, is all for confronting whatever impedes her goal.
“Home” is cheerfully aimed for youngsters, mainly those under 10. It’s simplistic and slapstick. It doesn’t make any original or profound statements. It’s a silly concoction created to entertain and — in a casual manner — solidify the importance of family. The plot is easy to follow and digest with no big twists or surprises. The animation is colorful as various emotional situations cause Boovs to change colors. (Tip knows when Oh is lying, for example, because he turns green.)
It is the vocal artistry of Parsons, Rihanna and Steve Martin, as the self-important leader of the Boov — Captain Smek — who elevate the film. At first, Parsons’ Oh is a condescending sidekick who continually reminds Tip of the so-called superiority of the Boov and their way of life. He begins to change as he sees his belief system slowly crumbles because of the pluck and dedication of the young Tip.
Martin’s Smek is almost an extension of the comedian-actor’s standup persona of the self-aggrandizing know-it-all who is oblivious to how limited he actually is. Rihanna makes you want to hug Tip. She is adorable, smart and vulnerable as she single-mindedly sets out to find her mother and allows nothing to impede her quest.
While “Home” is aimed mainly for children, adults will enjoy the satire of what human essentials the Boov judge as worthless and useless and what they deem important to preserve. “Home” is a bit repetitious at times, but overall, thanks to its trio of stars, it is an entertaining 90-plus minutes of laughter and love.
Bloom is a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. His reviews appear at Reel Bob (reelbob.com) and The Film Yap (filmyap.com). He also reviews Blu-rays and DVDs. He can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at Rottentomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.
HOME 4 YAPS out of 5 Rated: PG, rude humor, scary moments