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Why is it that most trailers for animated films look silly and saccharine-drenched? I guess it's because the major demographic that is being wooed is that of kids, however a ton of animated movies have proven themselves to be catered toward kids and adults alike. So when I was bombarded with many trailers of "Home", it just looked tired, trite and over-cooked (writing wise). Wow! Was I totally off the mark!

When Oh (Jim Parsons), a loveable misfit 'geek' from another planet, lands on Earth and finds himself on the run from his own people lead by one Captain Smek (Steve Martin), he forms an unlikely friendship with an adventurous girl named Gratuity Tucci or Tip (Rihanna) for short, who is on a quest of her own--to find her mom, Lucy (Jennifer Lopez). Through a series of comic adventures with Tip, Oh comes to finally understand that being different and making mistakes is all part of being human, even though he is not. And while he changes her planet and she changes his world, they discover the true meaning of the word HOME, because at the end of the day, home is the secure place we all retreat to.

Others to round out the cast are Matt Jones as Kyle, Brian Stepanek as Gorg Commander/ Father/Boov, April Lawrence as Boov Announcer, Stephen Kearin, Lisa Stewart and April Winchell all as Boovs.

This was whimsically and playfully directed by Tim Johnson ("Antz" '98, "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas" '03, "Over the Hedge" '06) plus shorts. Even though this guy lives in an animated world, he knows what he knows best and he does it with finesse and charm. The emotions he was able to emit from these characters, especially Oh, was fun, explorative and truly passionate toward their cause. It was equally well written by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember ("Failure to Launch" '06, "Get Smart" '08, "Epic" '13) with "Get Smart 2" announced. These guys have definitely improved because both "Failure to Launch" and "Get Smart" were incredibly predictable and contrived. Believe me, when I saw these two names as writers, I certainly thought twice about viewing it, however after seeing this, like I said above, I was totally off the mark. The character development, again especially Oh, was well thought out, fresh and original. Jim Parsons owned the character of Oh to the point of perfection. This starts a bit slow, but I believe it's purposed, so be patient and this will soar for you.

This animated flick is like others in that it's cute, fun with a great message--that our differences make us, not detract. But with a fun, adventurous script and amazingly meaty character development, this is just the perfect mix for anyone who is a kid at heart, and all in a nifty 3D format.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                  Rated: PG                                   94mins.