Home

An alien race known as The Boov invade Earth and relocate all humans to other parts of Earth while the Boov settle in where humans inhabited. An outcast Boov known as Oh (Jim Parsons) stumbles across Tip, (Rihanna) a child who was left behind while her mother, Lucy, (Jennifer Lopez) was relocated. The two begin a friendship with Oh trying to help Tip (not the rapper) reunite with her mother.

As simple as the plot sounds, it--well actually it is that simple. The Boov ruler, Captain Smek, (Steve Martin) leads all Boov while trying to hide on Earth from their enemy, the Gorg. Known best for running away, Captain Smek tries to keep his cowardice hidden while blaming others for failed plans and taking credit for plans to help the Boov survive the Gorg.

Home is a surprisingly embarrassing family film. With Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez starring in the film, a lot of time is spent ensuring the filmmakers letting the audience know who will be on the "Home" soundtrack. When not bumping the latest "Ri-Ri" of "J.Lo" the film spends so much time trying to showcase the cuteness of the Boov in an effort to have parents buy their children the latest Boov toy. The Boov are not Minions, no matter how hard the film wants you to think they are.

Aside from what sells on this movie, the actual story line is a shade below pedestrian. After a brief set-up of the Boov taking over Earth, we really don't get much more in depth regarding the Boov lifestyle. Yes, they are Minion-like, but so what? There is a plot, I guess, about racing against time to hid themselves from the Gorg. Yet, the Gorg are hardly given any screen time in the film and no attempt is really made at all about who the Gorg are and why they are so feared. Yes, the end does explain their motivation, but not for one second does it feel like the Gorg were really intertwined into the plot. The Gorg felt like an afterthought where the screenwriters got together and felt that there was no threat in the film so they scribbled down the Gorg and their brief motivation on a napkin.

Obviously, I am not a fan of Home. Maybe I'm not the audience the film is trying to serve, but I find many animated films enjoyable. An uber-simple story with a lack of visuals meshed with many marketing ideas equals a surprisingly bad film, but a hell of a nice toy/soundtrack commercial. So, I guess there's that...

2.9/10