3396. Home On The Range (2004)

Starring: Judi Dench, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Steve Buscemi

Director: Will Finn, John Sanford

Running Time: 76 mins

Home On The Range is an American film about a trio of cows who are forced into action to save their farm from closure, by venturing out to capture an infamous cow thief to reclaim the bounty on his head.

One of the few stronger entries of Disney’s dismal first half of the 2000s in animation, Home On The Range isn’t necessarily a classic, but it is a likable and charismatic family adventure, complete with fun action and above all, a dynamite voice cast.

Let’s start with the obvious: if you’re looking for a new all-time Disney favourite, then Home On The Range isn’t going to fit the bill. While it has all the ingredients of a decent family animation, it does lack a certain magic that brings it closer to the direct-to-video films of a difficult era for the studio.

That being said, not every Disney movie has to be a classic, and Home On The Range offers a simple hour and a bit of fun to sit back and enjoy, from a variety of light-hearted slapstick gags to zany characters and a fun-loving, albeit fairly generic adventure story.

There’s a part of me that keeps subconsciously comparing this movie to Animal Farm, even though the two couldn’t be further apart, but Home On The Range does seem to just miss the mark when it comes to simplistic, easy-going storytelling.

On the plus side, the animation is fun, and the voice performances from A-listers Judi Dench, Randy Quaid, Cuba Gooding Jr., Steve Buscemi and more bring a real charisma to the table, with Home On The Range doing more than enough to put a smile on my face.

That said, however, the movie is so simplistic in its screenplay that it’s actually rather boring to watch if you’re not a young child. While the film’s target audience will be more than satisfied, Home On The Range doesn’t have the humour nor emotion to captivate older viewers, and as such can be a rather dull film to watch.

Overall, then, I liked Home On The Range, although found it to be a bit of a mixed bag. It’s a pleasant, easy-going family animation that will delight younger viewers, but it’s also an overly simplistic watch, with a screenplay lacking the humour and depth to prove genuinely captivating throughout. So, that’s why I’m giving it a 6.7.