Dreamworks’ ‘Home’ Review
Dreamworks’ new animated feature Home nestles its way into our cinemas on the 20th March and Skwigly got a sneak peek at what it has in store for us. It’s time to meet the Boov!
The setting is Earth in the present day, while not too far away are a strange yet cowardly race of aliens called the Boov. In constant fear of near enough everything, they are always on the move looking for new planets to call home and, guess what, Earth happens to be their next destination. From the moment they land they adapt our planet to suit their needs, primarily relocating all humans to a single compound in Australia. A girl named Tip (Rihanna) and her cat manage to escape the mass eviction and aim to find a way back to civilisation and their mum. During the Boov takeover an outcast Oh (Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory) finds himself in big trouble with the leader Captain Smek. On the run he meets up with Tip and agrees to help her find her mum. In a generic fashion the story unfolds and sees them go from disjointed ‘friends’ to something that more resembles a family. As the end approaches they must decide where home really is, on solid ground or in the heart.
Home is everything a children’s film should be. Simple jokes, stomping pop music and an easy storyline that never strays too far from the confines of its box. This is no bad thing, as the audience response showed. There were a lot of laugh-out-loud exclamations during the screening and, as the film indulged its many clichéd, slow-mo/emotional scenes, silence held the room. It appears this film really draws the kids in and keeps them hooked, rather than restless. The story centers around a very familial grounding, with Oh feeling like he has no family, Tip losing hers and their bond building to an ever stronger connection. Whether you’re a young child or a parent, this is certainly something that is instinctively relatable and with some dad jokes thrown in along the way, there isn’t much more you could want.
Surprisingly Rihanna takes on the lead role of Tip in the film. With such a strong central character and played almost entirely against comic Jim Parsons, it seems an odd choice. Tip’s character has her moments and, as we near the end, we finally see a character that we can warm to. As we are introduced to her she seems intelligent and switched on, building a comprehensive and technical trap for the invading Boov, but this is very quickly forgotten and we never really get a sense of who she actually is. This could be down to Rihanna’s performance but there is something within the writing that looks to be the flaw. On the flip side, Parson’s portrayal of Oh is perfect. He naturally seems quick-witted and strange and as you follow him on his journey you really start to feel a connection and understand who he is. He has some cheesy jokes but they are delivered well and make the child friendly script seem more accessible to adults. The addition of Steve Martin as Captain Smek also helps to raise the tone and reach out to a more family audience. Portraying a character that is very reminiscent of King Julien in Madagascar, he is over indulgent and eccentric to the point of madness and offers some much needed original humour.
Home is heading for an Easter release and is one that you can safely take your children to and know that they’ll be entertained. For adults this may seem a bit like a ‘seen it, done it’ sort of film but the overarching theme of family and what it means to have a home will certainly ring true and probably have you blubbering at the end. Dreamworks have clearly set out to make a film primarily for children and they have truly succeeded.
Home is released in UK cinemas on the 20th March 2015.