HOME
US, 2015, 94 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin, Jennifer Lopez.
Directed by Tim Johnson.
Home is a pleasant animation film from Dream Works Studios. While parents may enjoy it – or, perhaps, pleasantly tolerate it – it is targeted for a children’s audience and younger children might respond happily.
In one sense this is a variation on ET. Except that this creature’s two letters are O and H, Oh. This is a variation on ET coming to earth as well as variations on close encounters and the War of the Worlds, G-rated, of course.
Out in space are a race of creatures, short and squat, multi-legged or, who feel that they are being pursued by other aliens and have to be on the move, continually finding somewhere for refuge. They are led by The Captain, voiced by Steve Martin. They are all assembled, the luggage in little balloon bags, ready to go to earth. And then Oh appears. He is voiced by comedian, Jim Parsons.
Oh is the hero of the film, an exuberant creature (his fellow-creatures are definitely not exuberant), the Boovs. In one way they are considerate, they don’t want to destroy the human race, simply remove every human from the face of the earth, sucked up by vacuum and relocated, suburban houses and all, on another planet, assuming that they all want to be there, which, obviously, they don’t.
In the meantime, the Boovs settle on earth, with Oh getting an apartment, wanting to host a party but everybody avoiding it and him.
Meanwhile, there is one little girl who was not sucked up with all the humans because he had her at pig-cat on her head and the vacuum couldn’t penetrate it. She is called Tip and, surprisingly, is voiced by Rihanna. In her search for her mother (Jennifer Lopez), she comes across Oh, clashes at first, then the beginnings of friendship as he mends her car. What follows are a lot of adventures, even to capital cities around the world. Oh becomes a bit more human, learning that one can make mistakes, seeing families bonding…
When a huge hostile alien craft threatens, Oh decides to defend everyone – only to find that the threat was not nearly as great as was thought. Which means then that humans and Boovs can get to know each other, become friendly, share Earth and its cities, and even want to dance!
Of course, it was inevitable that there would be happy ending, and there is. But, isn’t there an allegory about refugees, fleeing in fear, and finally finding a welcome?
1. Entertaining animation film – for children, for adults?
2. The style of animation, characters, planets and the universe, the world, world cities and the landmarks? The musical score?
3. The voice cast, appropriate for the characters?
4. The title, the theme, the Boovs and their trying to find a home, always on the move, a sense of persecution, the decision to go to earth? Making their home? Removing all the humans? Oh and his experience, his apartment, his home, feeling lonely, nobody liking him? Tip, not removed, the cat? Searching for her mother? The humans on the other planet? The restoration, interactions? True?
5. The situation, the Boovs, their appearance, speech and the mangled English, the assembly, loneliness, people on the mountain tops and not neighbours? Oh, his eagerness, everybody else’s reaction? The captain, his speech, his exhortations? Going to earth?
6. The humans, the cities, their all being sucked up by the vacuum? Relocated, all the homes, not wanting to be there, Tip’s mother?
7. Oh, his character, Jim Parsons and his voice, the reason for his name, everybody saying ‘oh’ in dismay when he turned up? On earth, wanting to throw the party, decorating his apartment, everybody avoiding it? Kyle, the police work, his not wanting to go?
8. The interrogation by the captain, assessing the situation, the behaviour of Oh?
9. Oh, the supermarket, Tip and the cat, eventually meeting Oh, in the freezer, letting him out, fixing the car?
10. Their adventures, Oh and his learning about making mistakes, human qualities? Tip, her character, African-American? background? The cat? Going from city to city, seeing families, bonding?
11. The threat from the aliens, the giant machine, Oh and his confrontation, Tip and her mother, finding each other, the joy, accepting Oh, the importance of Oh and the rock, containing the new aliens, giving it up? The retreat?
12. Happy restoration, the party and the guests, the Boovs and their being moved to dance, even the aliens, everybody happy, communicating, acceptance? True home?
