Rihanna’s ‘Home’ is where the fun is in 4 slices

On my work desk I have various action figures from a variety of franchises including Doctor Who, Star Wars, Super Mario Bros., Indiana Jones and Batman. Among these characters is the alien “Oh” from 2015 Dreamworks 3D computer animated sci-fi comedy Home which I received as a gift though I had not seen the movie. But I heard it was good so I put it on my to watch list. And you know what – it was a pretty good time.

Home tells the story of 14 year-old Gratuity “Tip” Tucci (voiced by songstress Rihanna) and fugitive alien Oh (voiced by Jim Parsons from the ‘The Big Bang Theory’). Oh’s species “the Boov”, led by Captain Smek (Steve Martin) have taken over Earth and relocated all humans to a single settlement. Tip, her cat “Pig” and Oh go on an adventure in a flying car to find Tip’s mother voiced by Jennifer Lopez.

So let’s dig into my no spoiler review in four easy to chew slices:

#1 Cool Cast

I found the voice cast did a commendable job. Parsons is a lot of fun as the worrisome and friendless Oh; his species changes colour depending on their emotions. Martin is also a laugh a minute as the foolish Captain Smek.

But I was most surprised by Rihanna’s voice performance, as she is more famous for her singing than her acting talents. She did a decent job in the role, infusing the character with spunk and youthful energy. She spoke with her native Barbadian accent and the character’s back story was presumably adapted to fit that. As a Caribbean native myself I appreciated that touch.

 #2 Vibrant Animation

While Dreamworks does not achieve the animation heights of a Pixar they do put out some great looking animation and the work they did on Home was a stand out. The colours pop with life, the effects have pizzazz and they took time with the little things like the curls of Tip’s hair. It is a delightful movie just from a visual standpoint.

In terms of music a lot of Rihanna’s tunes are featured though it is the kid friendly stuff. So if you were hoping for “Pour it Up” or “Rude Boy” you will be disappointed.

#3 A Wild Adventure

Some animated movies can be great fun for kids but drudgery for older viewers. But I never felt bored watching Home. There were a quite a few chases and dramatic scenes, though these were well punctuated by more quiet character moments so it never gets to be overbearing. Director Tim Johnson (Antz, Over the Hedge) must be praised on the pacing.

And while the movie is not a laugh riot there was enough humour that hit the mark and none of if it was offensive, inappropriate or puerile.

#4 All About Family 

The theme of family and finding your place are the core of this film; it is called Home after all. Seeing Tip and Oh go from mistrustful to loving each other is done sweetly but not in a saccharine manner. And when Tip reunites with her mother it is a lovely scene. Prepare to have a couple of ye olde heartstrings tugged at.

As an animated film Home does not break the mould but it delivers a fun movie for the whole family that is definitely worth visiting.

Rating – Home gets a juicy 3.25/4 colour changing aliens

So have you seen Home? What did you think of it? Feel free to comment below.

For more Tip and Oh you can check the Netflix series “Home: Adventures With Tip & Oh” scheduled for release on July 29, though without the voice talents of Rihanna and Parsons.

For my no spoiler review of Finding Dory you can click here and my trailer review of upcoming Disney film Moana you can click here. And for more animated movie posts you can follow me @suprememango012.

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