What they did for Boov

HOME.” Creativity trumps predictability.

“Home” is a new animated feature about an alien race known as the Boov, who flee their world for planet Earth to escape a deadly, monstrous foe that is hell-bent on exterminating them.

Trouble is, the Boov opt for residence on our planet without our approval. Being more technologically powerful and savvy, they herd all humans into controlled communities in space.

Naturally, the humans are less than thrilled when the Boov peremptorily take over, but the global coup is so sudden that they’re caught off-guard. —Except for a few rebels, like a young teenager from Barbados who gutsily dares the Boov to do their worst as she looks for her mom, who’s been spirited away.

Interestingly, she falls in with a Boov named Oh, who’s a reject in his own world. So, the film’s leads turn out to both be “outsiders”—that’s the bond that unexpectedly links them as the film continues to unfold.

Later, it becomes even clearer that they have to work together, not just for their separate agendas, because the monster-villain is out to decimate both their races.

Inventive surprise

—So far, so predictable. But, as the sci-fi, animated storytelling unfolds, the film’s creative team delights viewers with one inventive surprise after another.

As a result, predictability is sweetly trumped by creativity, and we keep watching. It’s easy to do so, because the film’s two leads are appealingly and idiosyncratically limned.

A final twist involves the movie’s dreaded villain—who turns out not to be so totally fearsome and hideous, after all. This unexpected denouement makes the film even more upbeat than expected—a good development in a sci-fi cartoon, because far too many movies about extraterrestrials favor their fearsome aspects.

“Home” cheerfully takes exception to that negative view, intimating that “Boov” rhymes with “love”—so, humongous group hug, everyone!