Dreamworks has been manufacturing family-friendly animated entertainment for well over a decade now. Their films come a close second to Pixar and they always feature positive messages, funny scripts, star-studded voice casts and of course, absolutely dazzling artwork. The animation in Dreamworks films is the work of magicians and their latest offering, the sci-fi buddy adventure Home is no different. It is based on Adam Rex’s children’s book The True Meaning of Smekday and it is a charming tale of friendship set against a overpowering odds. Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin and Jennifer Lopez all lend their vocal talents to the film and their presence here is really quite welcome.

The Boov are a wacky alien race on the run from a rather nasty group of creatures. Led by Captain Smek (Martin), the Boov decide to peacefully invade Earth and coexist with mankind. Oh (Parsons), a well-meaning Boov gets displaced during the invasion and he soon encounters Tip (Rihanna), a teenage tomboy who is also on a personal quest. She and her mother (Lopez) were separated during the invasion as well and now, Oh and Tip join forces and despite their many differences, embark on an adventure of intergalactic proportions all the while forming a rather sincere friendship in the process.

With extraordinary animation and a 3D presentation, Home is without a doubt, visually stunning. Kids will be glued to the movie screen with such an impressive canvass laid out. Having said that, the story is a really fun one and allows for some very imaginative sight gags and action sequences. With the eyes in for a treat, the ears are in for quite an experience as well. Jim Parsons has taken on a different role in Home and while it’s a different film, his Sheldon Cooper persona is alive and well in Oh. In fact, the combination of his voice and the appearance of the purple little alien works beautifully. Also, Steve Martin is a tad underused as an alien leader and Matt L. Jones (Breaking Bad, Mom) has some of the film’s biggest laughs as one of Smek’s minions.

Rihanna and J-Lo also do very well in their respective voice roles. They even put together a really solid soundtrack album which delivers the powerful messages of the film through song. Each of these compositions work excellently and mesh with composer Lorne Balfe’s score perfectly. One can’t help but tapping their toes along with each of the heartwarming songs.

Home is a really curious film. The story is strange beyond belief and the action scenes are literally out of this world. Kids may not get all the jokes and there are some very emotional moments but this is animated adventure that anyone can enjoy. The friendship message is a universal one and the characters are very human, even if they do happen to be purple little aliens. Adam Rex’s book may be a zany trip but it certainly lends itself well to animation. Dreamworks continues to delight audiences with Home because it has all the right ingredients that have made the animation juggernaut so successful.