Movie Review: Home (+trailer)

Home isn't too sure who it is trying to impress.

Home is the latest production from DreamWorks Animation, the studio responsible for kiddy hits including How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek and Madagascar.

In Home, Earth is taken over by colour-morphing aliens called the Boov, who colonise new planets to escape their enemy, the Gorg.

The film centres on a Boov called Oh (Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory) and a girl called Gratuity "Tip" Tucci (Rihanna). Both are misfits, Oh because no Boov wants to be his friend, and Tip because she's lost her mother and, referencing the pop star who voices her, is "just this nerd from Barbados".

Tip does, however, have a cat named Pig, who wins laughs for his feline quirkiness and love of jumping on heads.

In true DreamWorks style, the animation in Home is exceptional, with cool galactic shots and wild rides across Earth, including through an upside-down Eiffel Tower.

The soundtrack from Rihanna and J-Lo (who is Tip's mum) is also cool, while Tip's hyper-real bouncy curls are a feat of cutting-edge CG.

But the Boov, though cute and emotive, lack the x-factor of those other garbling aliens, the Minions, who are soon to have their own namesake feature film.

The other problem with Home is that it's hard to figure out who it's trying to impress. It's too scary for little kids but probably too silly for older ones, and the verdict from those in between was not much better.

"That was so weird," said one of our 6-year-olds at the end.

Home
(PG), 94 minutes
Rating: 2.5/5