Home, the latest animated film to come out of Dreamworks Animation studios, is the story of a plushy, adorably-animated alien named ‘Oh’ and his experiences on Earth with a young girl named Tip. There’s a bit more to the plot than that, even some hilarious and emotionally moving twists and turns, but the movie truly revolves around the developing relationship between Oh and Tip to drive the story. In a way the plot leads to a bit of disappointment, not because the premise isn’t funny (it’s actually quite hilarious when the story really kicks off), but because much of the movie’s content doesn’t live up to the hilarity of the premise.

However, there are quite a few things to enjoy about Home. The aforementioned visuals are always fun, and if there’s one thing this movie doesn’t lack, it’s scenes and creatures that will make you unconsciously say ,‘awww that’s adorable’, to no one in particular. The voice acting is also entertaining, with Jim Parsons taking lead role as Oh. Parsons’s voice comfortably suits Oh’s character, especially when considering that Oh is basically a more amiable, alien version of Sheldon Cooper. Rihanna’s voice performance as Tip is also likeable, although I get the feeling that Dreamworks had a few ulterior motives when considering her casting – easily 90% of the soundtrack were Rihanna songs. As funny as it sounds, if you’re not into Rihanna, the film loses a little bit of its likability. There’s also a lot of humor to be enjoyed here, with even a few of pop culture references and internet jokes that really hit their mark. It’s these moments in the movie that make you happy you spent those ten dollars to go see it, but there are undoubtedly other elements that make you feel a bit more uneasy about that expenditure.

Now, it’s important to note that this is meant to be a kid’s movie after all, and kids will certainly enjoy the film’s cute animation and lighthearted appeal, but that fact can’t excuse the film’s problems. While many of the jokes in the movie are quite funny, it’s evident that many are also meant for a much younger audience. Many witty lines or pop culture references in the film are soon followed by a simple gag or fart joke. I can’t exactly fault a kid’s movie for trying to appeal to children, but it’s nevertheless something to consider when looking at the film’s overall appeal. Home does also contain some more tender or suspenseful moments, but many of these are quickly defused with the reminder that, “Oh right, it’s a kid’s movie, nothing really bad is gonna happen.”

With bright, whimsical visuals, some entertaining voice acting brought by Parsons, and just enough good jokes to keep an engaged audience, Home presents a hilarious premise, but doesn’t always deliver on content. Basically, if you’re looking for cute animated film that won’t ever take itself too seriously, or just an opportunity to listen to a lot of Rihanna, you’ll get the most out of Dreamwork’s latest animation.