Review: Home on the Range (**)

HOME ON THE RANGE
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): **


HOME ON THE RANGE, another traditionally animated misfire from Disney, again
reminds us of the crucial role of the script in a comedy. No matter how
famous the voice talent, the composers and the singers are in an animated
movie, especially a non-computer generated one, the movie's humor works --
or doesn't -- based on the dialog. And, by that metric, HOME ON THE RANGE
fails at almost every turn. There are a few mildly funny moments and some
kind-of-cute lines, but that's about it.



The movie opens with a stunning shot of a range painted in gorgeous pastels.
The beauty doesn't last. Most of the movie is shown in close-up with dull
colors and singularly uninspired drawings. The painterly background artists
so outshine the character animators that it makes you wish most of the movie
were backgrounds rather than characters.



A chunky cow named Maggie (voiced by Roseanne) comes to live at the little
Patch of Heaven farm, which is just about to be auctioned off. Mrs.
Calloway (voiced by Judi Dench), a cow with a silly hat who is the matriarch
of the farm animals, resents the new cow, calling Maggie, "the original Mrs.
Happy Heifer." Maggie has her own putdowns. "Don't everybody speak at
once," she tells the speechless animals upon her arrival. "What is this?
The frozen foods section?" Jennifer Tilly supplies the voice for Grace, the
third cow. Eventually Maggie, Grace and Mrs. Calloway become something like
the Three Moosketeers, fighting the bad guys, who are led by Alameda Slim
(voiced by Randy Quaid). Other actors involved in the picture include Cuba
Gooding Jr., who does the voice of the horse, and Steve Buscemi, who
provides the voice for one of Slim's slimier minions.



The musical numbers, sung by k.d. lang and written by Oscar-winning composer
Alan Menken (THE LITTLE MERMAID), are pleasant enough but instantly
forgettable. Ten minutes after leaving, I couldn't recall any of them.



The big fight scene at the end and a trio of belching pigs were the favorite
parts for my audience. Personally, I liked the runaway mine car sequence
best. HOME ON THE RANGE does provide one significant challenge for the
audience. The adults will be hard-pressed to stay awake.



HOME ON THE RANGE runs a long 1:16. It is rated PG for "brief mild rude
humor" and would be acceptable for all ages. This is really a G movie, no
matter what the MPAA claims.



My niece Liana, age 7, and her brother William, age 9, both thought the film
was funny. Liana's favorite character was the cow with the funny hat (Mrs.
Calloway), and William liked it best when the horse beat up Slim and his
gang.



The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday April 2, 2004. In
the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century
theaters and the Camera Cinemas.



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