Eleven Years On, Home Still Works Because Its Alien Buddy Never Gets Old

Home is a movie about a boy named Rocky who moves to a new town and finds a strange creature living in his backyard. It is also a movie about grief, friendship, and the particular kind of loneliness that comes from losing someone you loved. The film, directed by Andrew Adamson, wants to be a gentle, family-friendly adventure. Mostly, it succeeds at being gentle.

The premise is simple. Rocky (Alex Neighbours) loses his mother, and his father (Rob Corddry) moves the family to a small town in Oregon to start over. There, Rocky discovers a strange creature he calls Boov. The Boov are friendly, playful aliens who have taken over Earth and now live among humans. Rocky befriends the Boov, particularly a young one named Spitz (Steve Martin), while his father tries to find a way to stop the invasion and save the planet. The plot is thin, but it moves fast enough to keep the audience engaged.

Trailer, via Universal Kids.

The Boov Are The Heart Of It

The Boov are the reason the film works at all. They are colorful, expressive creatures with big eyes and wide smiles. They move with a fluid grace that feels almost magical, and their designs are charming without being overly cute. The voice acting helps too. Steve Martin brings warmth and humor to Spitz, and the other Boov characters are distinct enough to feel like individuals rather than a single type. They are the emotional core of the story, and the film leans on them heavily.

The relationship between Rocky and Spitz is the best part of the movie. Their bond is genuine and sweet, and the scenes where they play together or talk about what it means to be friends carry real weight. The film understands that the best stories about loss are the ones that focus on the people left behind, and it spends most of its runtime exploring that idea through the lens of a child’s imagination.

The Story Is Where It Falls Short

The problem is that the story itself is thin. The conflict between the humans and the Boov is resolved quickly, and the stakes are never fully explained. Why are the Boov invading? What is at stake for the planet? The film never answers these questions satisfactorily. Instead, it focuses on the emotional journey of the main characters, which is fine, but it leaves the larger narrative feeling unfinished.

The pacing is also uneven. Some scenes drag, especially those involving the adult characters, while others rush past important moments. The middle section of the film drags noticeably, and the final act feels rushed, as if the filmmakers were eager to wrap things up rather than let the story breathe. This is a shame, because the emotional payoff of the ending could have been stronger if the film had spent more time building toward it.

The Voice Cast Delivers

The voice cast is solid across the board. Steve Martin gives a warm, funny performance as Spitz, and Alex Neighbours carries the film with a quiet intensity that suits his character. Rob Corddry plays the father with a gruff charm, and the supporting cast fills out the human side of the story with competent professionalism. The voice work is not outstanding, but it is reliable, and that is enough to hold the film together.

The music, composed by Henry Jackman, is pleasant but forgettable. It does not distinguish itself from other family adventure scores, and it rarely adds anything memorable to the scenes it accompanies. The animation, however, is where the film truly shines. The backgrounds are lush and detailed, and the action sequences are energetic without being overwhelming. The Boov themselves are beautifully rendered, and their movements are fluid and expressive. The visual style is consistent throughout, which is a credit to the production team.

The Human Characters Feel Secondary

The human characters are less successful than the Boov. Rocky’s father is a man who is grieving, but the film never fully explores his pain. His arc feels underdeveloped, and his role in the story is mostly reactive rather than proactive. The other human characters are even more thinly drawn, serving as background figures rather than full people.

The film’s handling of grief is its most interesting aspect, but it is also its most problematic. The loss of Rocky’s mother is treated with sensitivity, but the film never fully confronts the depth of that loss. It touches on the idea of moving on and finding joy again, but it does not linger on the pain. This is a missed opportunity, because the film has the emotional tools to handle this material with care.

What Works And What Doesn’t

Here is a quick rundown of the film’s strengths and weaknesses:

1. The Boov are charming and expressive.
2. The relationship between Rocky and Spitz is genuinely sweet.
3. The animation is beautiful and consistent.

4. The voice acting is reliable.

5. The plot is thin and underdeveloped.

6. The pacing is uneven, with some scenes dragging.
7. The stakes are never fully explained.
8. The human characters are underdeveloped.

• What stands out: The friendship between Rocky and Spitz, the animation quality, Steve Martin’s performance as Spitz.
• What lags behind: The middle section of the film, the adult characters, the larger conflict between humans and Boov.

The Final Verdict

Home is a movie with a good heart but a weak skeleton. It is at its best when it focuses on the relationship between Rocky and Spitz, and at its worst when it tries to build a larger story around them. The animation is beautiful, the voice work is solid, and the emotional core is sincere. But the plot is thin, the pacing is uneven, and the stakes are never fully explained. It is a film that will appeal to children and families looking for a gentle adventure, but it will leave adults wanting more.

The film is not a failure, but it is not a triumph either. It is a middling entry in the genre, one that is worth watching for its moments of sweetness but not one that demands a second viewing. The Boov deserve better than the story they are given, and the film’s failure to fully commit to their world is its biggest disappointment.

Home is a film that aims for comfort and finds it, but it never reaches for greatness. It is a safe, pleasant watch that will not offend anyone but will not leave anyone breathless. The best it can be described as is a solid, unremarkable addition to the family adventure genre.

Score: 5.5 of 10.

alien comedy · animation · family film · Home · movie review