'Home' Review: Shattering Cultural Boundaries

In Dreamworks' Home, an alien named Oh finds himself on the wrong end of a particularly sticky situation when he (she? it? whatever) inadvertently sends an invitation to the natural enemy of his kind, the Gorg. You see, Oh is a Boov and not a particularly well-loved Boov. However, he does find an unlikely companionship in the daughter of a Bajan (person from Barbados) immigrant named Gratuity Tucci (nicknamed 'Tip'), who he comes in contact with while on the run. What the two experience is nothing short of epic.

If you have recently watched any animated movies from DreamWorks, the one thing you never fail to notice (outside of the fluid animation) is the superb artistry. Shrek, How To Train A Dragon and Kung Fu Panda have all been hailed for the kinds of smooth, vibrant colors that not just bring to life the scenery but also the characters. Home is no different. As a matter of fact, the movie takes color to another level by linking the appearances of the Boov to their emotional states. So when a Boov is happy, its whole body turns orange. When it is blue, that means it's sad. When angry, it becomes red. etc.

So the director and team of artists make sure that the Boov are unable to fake their intent. By doing so, the Boov cannot be taken as anything more than light-hearted creatures because there is nothing mysterious about them, unlike the Gorg who seem absolutely terrifying. 

The advantage of making the Boov more "emotional open" is that the audience members feel comfortable watching them interact with one another. The art of surprise is almost non-existent. The only moment that somewhat surprised me was when Oh nearly sacrificed itself to save Gratuity.

Other aspects of the movie that I notice, are the circumstances surrounding the main and supporting characters. For one, neither one of the characters follow the typical, English stereotypes that we have come to expect in a Western movie. One character is from (and played by a person from) Barbados while the other is from space. In addition, both characters' speak in a way that reveal each one's non-English origin. Oh sounds like Starfire from Teen Titans while Gratuity sounds like someone from the Islands. 

In my opinion, the introduction of non-English characters in major film roles is particularly important, especially in a kid's film, because it opens audience members to other cultures and traditions. Unlike many adults (not all), a majority of young children are unable to filter their reactions to things outside of what they perceive as "the world". In my opinion, exposure to different cultures early in life not only confirms that other cultures exist, it also indirectly makes young audience members more receptive to little things like speech, dressing and the way people greet each other. So I give DreamWorks credit for incorporate positive, non-American, cultural archetypes in their movies.

Two areas of the movie I do not agree with are related to the key messages. There are exactly three key messages that I recognized while watching this movie:

1) One cannot live his/her life without risk. 

2) You cannot judge a book by its cover

3) Love is expressed in different ways. 

The Boov, for much of the film, handle their disputes by running away. It's not until Gratuity teaches Oh how to tackle its problems head-on, that the other Boov become aware of the things they can achieve when they face a problem together. This is a wonderful message to teach kids. Many great pioneers of science, philosophy and business have made monumental strides in their respective areas because they attack problems that most people shy away from. 

However, there is a point where one has to draw a line and say "this is not worth confronting." Maybe I am overthinking it, but I do remember the YOLO (You Only Live Once) days when kids were doing some rather dangerous things for the sake of living. It is not difficult to see where messages like these can be twisted to a point where somebody's girl or boy applies it to EVERY situation. It is worth noting that knowing where to draw the line is something that comes with experience. So the people at DreamWorks may have purposely left "responsibility training" to the parents. Nonetheless, I would have loved to see one or two instances where either Gratuity or Oh, after being locked in internal conflict, decide not to face an issue. As a result, this decision would spare both of them from physical or emotional harm.

I also disagree with the way Gratuity treats Oh when she is angry or sad or distressed. Though it shows that she has great love and admiration for Oh, she tends to hit him a little too much. Earlier, I mentioned that the other key message of this movie is that love is expressed in different ways. However, I do not believe Oh warrants being hit like that. Why couldn't the director replace all the hits with a hug and maybe a flick on the nose (or tentacle)? Given how many countries (United States included) have issues with domestic violence, the 'love taps' are a little excessive. I would have been more receptive to the hits if a scene existed where the mother taught Gratuity other ways to express her anger/sadness/fear than hitting an individual. She never hits the cat so why would she hit Oh?

So the treatment of Oh was not particularly pleasing to me. I feel like that aspect of the movie could have been dealt different. I also feel like there should have been a little more indication of Gratuity's heritage. That said, I still like the movie and feel like it deserves a solid 8/10.

Now that you have read my review of DreamWorks' Home, it is time for me to hear from you guys. To those of you who watched Home, did you like it? If you did, how much of my review do you agree with? Which parts do you disagree with? Please tell me in the comment section below. As always, until next time....

Characters Mentioned:

'Oh' played by The Big Bang's Jim Parson

'Gratuity Tucci' played by Rihanna