CREDIT: DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
Jim Parsons and Rihanna star as Oh and Tip in DreamWorks' Home, which may be a metaphor for colonialism that feels oddly too long yet too short at the same time.

Oh is an anxiety-filled, needy alien from a species known as the Boov that live to run away. Tip is a clever young girl ready to head into danger to find the only person who matters – her mother. In this creative retelling of The Odd Couple trope, it takes the two main characters, who are – of course – so fundamentally different working together to solve the various dangers they encounter.

Home is a movie with an all-star cast of four people but still big names. The most obvious is Jim Parsons, who recreates his awkward persona as the main alien, Oh. It comes across as a bit disappointing to anyone hoping to hear more range from Parsons, but he maintains a sadly impersonal tone even during some of the more emotional scenes. Rihanna (as Tip), Steve Martin (as Captain Smek), and Jennifer Lopez (as Lucy) all do much better jobs giving their characters a bit of depth, with Martin’s character providing a greater amount of what comedy there is.

As a kid’s movie, Home manages well, being bright and colourful with a surprisingly good soundtrack (created entirely by Rihanna). Despite Oh’s lack of depth, he still manages to be an entertaining character, and the designs for many of the ships and scenes are visually interesting. It’s also really great to see an average female protagonist who manages to be cool and intelligent while still seeming natural. Tip also walks the fine line of being both self-sufficient and still a child. She reminds the audience of that awkward time in adolescence where one strives to appear as adult as possible while remaining incredibly vulnerable.

Unfortunately, all the beautiful subtlety of Tip’s character becomes a bit overshadowed by the heavy-handed points shoved in by the dialogue. There are a few really obvious points where the movie basically screams “This is a metaphor for colonialism!” at the audience. There’s at least one full apology speech about how the invaders were misled into thinking they were helping the savages, and how very sorry they now are. While vaguely connected with the bits of overarching plot, FernGully: The Last Rainforest and Pocahontas both made the point better and with more grace.

The other big issue with Home is that the pacing never really seems to suit the story. The beginning drags on quite a bit, then the ending is rushed through and the plot has more holes than a London street. Add to that many false climax scenes with constant confusion about what the main crisis actually is, and you end up with a movie that feels oddly both too long and too short.

Overall, Home makes for a perfectly watchable kid’s film, but those expecting big laughs from the big names are certain to be disappointed. Luckily, the main female protagonist makes it watchable, and the music may have you dancing along in your seat.