The underdog of the animation world, Dreamworks, has once again churned out another cute animated film designed to teach the children valuable lessons about family, kindness, and of course, the complicated imperialistic impact.

Home follows the story of Oh, a goofy alien among his conformist race, called the Boov, who dutifully follow their semi-delusional leader named Smek. The Boov, “the best species at running away,” relocate to Earth, escaping their enemy, the Gorg.

Species-wise, the Boov prove rather basic in terms of creative interest, but perfect for children, the intended target audience. They communicate using a weird, but charming, form of pidgin English. Given that kids seem to have a higher tolerance than adults for funny voices and wordplay, the movie emulates the perfect combination of slightly annoying and completely charming.

Home presents the most benign alien invasion one could imagine, in which these adorable outer-space intruders drive soap bubble-like pods, slurping up all the humans via giant vacuum tubes, and relocating them to amusement park-style communities in Australia. Narrated completely by Oh, the film jokes about the Boov’s miniscule understanding of human culture, such as deeming toilets “unnecessary,” while tires serve as wonderful hats.

The Big Bang Theory actor Jim Parsons believably voices Oh, obviously performing strongly, as Parsons has gained plenty of experience playing a quirky misfit. Rihanna did amazingly well as Tip, and most found it hilarious hearing “Tip” singing the soundtrack.

Home contains a simple plot perfect for children and frankly anyone who appreciates the easy to follow plots of children’s films. The diverse cast of the film provided wonderful realism; even the background characters showed a range of ethnicities, races, and religions. Dreamworks consciously making that decision definitely impacts the lives of the children that watched the film, almost exactly like the recent Annie adaptation did. This constant dialogue about diversity might be redundant and annoying for some, but little kids finally have the opportunity to look up to a character in a film that looks just like the actor. That alone took the movie up a notch and provided a refreshing change from the usual characters in mainstream films.

While basic, Home provides an all-around cute and entertaining addition for any animation junkie’s collection. While parents may be bored, children should find it exciting enough, all while learning important values about kindness and family. Home met expectations, proved humourous, and overwhelmed the audience with utter cuteness.

The Chant’s Grade: B+