Tim Johnson’s (Antz) animated movie Home tries hard — maybe too hard — to please its target audiences, namely kids and their parents.
Jim Parsons, as Oh, an extraterrestrial being in the tradition of a modern-day E.T., is a Boov among Boovs, an alien ¨race¨ desperate to find another galaxy to escape from their nemesis Gorg (voice by Brian Stepanek).
The Boovs discover Earth, and replace all the humans in an amusement park in Australia. What’s more, the Boovs think they are doing the earthlings a favor by zapping them up and putting them in one enormous location while they fly or run amok throughout the world.
Oh is essentially an outcast on his home planet in spite of his undaunted joyful personality. As he lands on Earth, Oh discovers that he is the first Boov on Earth, but he doesn’t want to be discovered by other Boovs as they hit the planet in droves.
Home is written by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember, adapting the 2007 children’s book by Adam Rex. The movie fares well in 3-D and has good detailed pieces.
The Boovs look like jellybeans with six legs able to change colors according to their moods. Purple is supposed to be their ¨home¨ color on their planet, but they can change to red, green, yellow or orange.
Smek (Steve Martin) is the ostentatious leader of the Boovs, and not exactly a fan of Oh. Gratuity “Tip” Tucci (Rihanna), is the little girl looking for her mom, Lucy (Jennifer Lopez), who has been whisked off by the Boovs, and relocated in Australia with the rest of the humans.
In the excitement of the Boovs flying over cities across the world, Tip runs into Oh in an abandoned convenient store. She finds him a nuisance at first for being one of the invaders taking her mom away. But to keep from being discovered, both team up, along with her cat, in what Oh makes her car into a flying machine.
Home is at best benign and silly, perhaps passable, if not somewhat dull. As such, Home manages a few laughs, but flat lines most of the way.
Howard McQuitter welcomes reader comments to howardmcquitter68@gmail.com
**1/2 out of 5 stars
20th Century Fox Animation
Director: Tim Johnson
Cast: Jim Parsons(voice by Oh)
Steve Martin (voice of Captain Smek)
Rihanna (voice of Tip)
Jennifer Lopez (voice of Lucy)
Running time: 94 minutes
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