DreamWorks’ “Home”
There has been a huge amount of speculation for the upcoming DreamWorks animated adventure “Home.” The same studio that has crawled its way into America’s hearts with animated films like “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Madagascar” and a personal favorite, “Shrek” has expanded its arsenal by bringing on a superstar voice talent in Rihanna.
The film marks a maiden voyage for both the studio and the Platinum Album award winning artist. For DreamWorks, this is the first film showcasing musical voice talents rather than using proven actors and comedians like Mike Meyers and Antonio Banderas. For Rihanna, this is not only her first animated film, it’s also her first musical feature as well. For those of you who remember her sub-par, amateur performance in “Battleship “will be relieved to know that Rihanna’s performance is actually one of the shining qualities of the film.
Unfortunately for adult audiences, the vocal talent of the film may be its only saving grace. As Variety’s Peter Debruge puts it, “Hey ‘Home’ E.T. called–he wants his huggable-alien concept back.” The film apparently suffers greatly from plot clichés and overdone, predictable script writing. Peter Debruge even went on to call it, “unimaginative and downright predictable by grownup standards, but bursting with elements sure to appeal to younger audiences — including cutesy character design, quotable alien catchphrases and solid musical/vocal contributions from Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez.” Fans of CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory,” may enjoy another “first” on this film, in hearing the voice of actor Jim Parsons, the show’s main character.
On a positive note, it would seem that the combination of great performances from both Parsons and Rihanna are enough to engage us into this world, which is always an accomplishment with a flat script. It just wasn’t enough to save the film in its entirety. Anyone older than 25 will find it too hard to ignore the similarities between the way this film progresses and how E.T. made us feel all those years ago. Perhaps that’s the film’s greatest tragic flaw, that such an imaginative concept mixed with such a talented cast (who performed well) could be so dismantled with an upchuck script. If anything, the lesson we can learn is how difficult it really is to create and perfect a film like “Shrek,” where the adults get just as much entertainment value as the kids.
The film’s premise is that a young girl (Rihanna) and an alien (Parsons) become unlikely friends after an alien invasion captures every other human on Earth. Unfortunately, the potential for quality family entertainment may have gone unfulfilled in many ways, but at least parents can feel confident that their children will enjoy it. Maybe DreamWorks’ next film can bring it back to its former glory, but until then those looking for the next great animated adventure should look elsewhere.
