By Tiffany Skelnik, Staff Writer

Home is a DreamWorks animated film directed by Tim Jones and starring Rihanna and Jim Parsons. It follows Oh, a member of an alien race known as the Boov and an outsider among his species. The Boov are known cowards and do well when it comes to running away. On their latest escape, they venture to Earth under the impression that they will be helping the human race, whom they view as “simple and backwards.”

As they take over Earth, Oh, voiced by Jim Parsons, sends E-vites to a “warming of house” party and accidentally makes the dreaded mistake of using the Send All button, which alerts the Boovs’ enemies the Gorgs to their location. This is when the story really takes off. Oh becomes a fugitive and crosses paths with Tip, a feisty and resourceful girl voiced by Rihanna, who is searching for her mother.

Home allows viewers to release their inner child by using clever storytelling and an all-star voice cast to its full advantage. Parsons was perfectly cast for the role of Oh. The way he handles the tricky dialect and the earnestness he brings to Oh’s questions about Earth, humanity and relationships makes the small and adorable alien endearing rather than grating.

Rihanna as Tip brings a fiery attitude and plenty of heart to the role. The girl, who is so determined to find her mother, slowly but surely opens up to the strange creature who becomes far more than a means to an end, and Rihanna’s performance shows far greater range than expected. She goes from quick and bantering comebacks to scared and confused without missing a beat, making Tip a character that the audience can’t help but want to see succeed along the journey.

The movie was extremely well made, colorful and hilarious. It is a wonderful escape and provides fun for all ages, not just children. The movie shows that home is where your friends and family are and that being different is more than acceptable. There are many hilarious moments, but there are also moments that make a few tears fall. Home covers a wide range in just 94 minutes.

This movie is a fun romp that had the whole theater clapping as the credits rolled. It manages to be fun and heartwarming without becoming overly cheesy. It is definitely worth seeing and I recommend it highly.