They say you should never judge a book by its movie. But I say never judge a movie by its book. My theory is born out by Home, DreamWorks Animation's new venture that recently hit cinemas in Shanghai.

The 3-D animated comedy is based on American author Adam Rex's The True Meaning of Smekday, a beloved children's book that tells the story of a teenage girl's adventures as she tries to find her mom during an alien invasion. In stark contrast to the hugely popular book, Home is a far less enjoyable and memorable piece of work, which lacks the broad appeal of its source material.

The film opens with a hilarious scene in which an alien race called the Boov evade their intergalactic enemies the Gorg by settling down on the Earth. To do that, the Boov, led by their Captain Smek (voiced by Steve Martin) relocate all humans to an enclave named Happy Humans Town.

However, the Boovs' new-found peace is about to be broken by Oh (Jim Parsons), a harmless misfit Boov who accidentally forwards a housewarming party invite to the Gorg, putting his entire race in danger.

Scenes from DreamWorks Animation's new venture Home Photos: CFP

 

Scenes from DreamWorks Animation's new venture Home Photos: CFP

 

Scenes from DreamWorks Animation's new venture Home Photos: CFP

 

Scenes from DreamWorks Animation's new venture Home Photos: CFP

 

Now a wanted criminal, Oh is on the run and bumps into Gratuity "Tip" Tucci (Rihanna), a seventh grader who is also on a quest to find her mom Lucy (Jennifer Lopez).

The pair embarks on a road trip full of difficulties and adventures which not only leads them to rescue the missing mom and the endangered Boov race, but also sees them forge an almost impossible friendship.

Working from a screenplay by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember, director Tim Johnson of Antz fame fails to stamp his identity on Home.

There are a few funny moments in the course of the 90-minute film, but the overly simple plot renders Home of little interest to older audiences.

Home tries to convey some messages about family and friendship, but they seem misplaced in this one-dimensional story.

There are far better animations that achieve what Home is aiming for, but in a far more sophisticated manner, such as Wall-E, Toy Story and Despicable Me. Such titles make us laugh out loud and shed a few tears.

Of course, Home is not without its merits.

The film's voice casting is fitting. Emmy award-winning Jim Parsons brings the best of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory to his animation debut.

This is almost an animated version of Sheldon here - Oh can remodel a car into a slushie-powered hovercraft (pictured above), but he is clueless when it comes to common social cues.

The pop diva Rihanna, who also lends her voice in a cartoon production for the very first time, is worth a big round of applause for her vivid portrayal of an adventurous, lonesome teen girl as well as for her upbeat new songs featured in Home. Jennifer Lopez also sings in the film.

Everyone's a critic

Mrs Gu

33, housewife

"I brought my 7-year-old twin girls to the cinema for Home. They definitely liked the animation - everything in the film is so dazzling and imaginative. Besides, the film also teaches them a few things about courage, family and friendship. As for myself, I also laughed out loud at a couple of moments."

Tracy Liu

25, business consultant

"As silly as it might sound, I enjoyed Home quite a lot. The main characters, the blob-like, multi-hued Boov in particular, are so lovable and remind me of the little Minions in Despicable Me. I also enjoyed the rich mix of music from Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez."

Zhang Jun

30, sales manager

"I came to watch the film for the voice work of Jim Parsons - I am a big fan of The Big Bang Theory. I think Parsons did a good job voicing an alien misfit. The film's visuals are energetic and its music is groovy. As for the story, I don't care much. It is just a kids' movie after all."