Unfortunately Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is one of the few young adult novels I have not read. Okay, I have not read a lot of young adult novels, but in turns of those being adapted into films I am pretty solid. Anyway, this review will be based on the film itself with no comparisons to the novel thrown in.
Tim Burton directs the adaptation. It is right up his alley as the story follows a group of "peculiars" living in a time loop. The film is 124 minutes long and of course, is visually stunning. There is a lot to explain and it does seem like the film is desperate to put as much exposition as it can which oddly enough makes it feel rushed. Still you care about the characters and their journey. Although whenever you are dealing with time, there can never be enough explanation to tie things up cleanly.
The film follows Jake Portman (Asa Butterfield who is surprisingly not interesting in this role) an ordinary boy living an ordinary life. He grew up listening to wild tales told by his grandfather Abe (Terence Stamp), but is convinced they are nothing more than that. His grandfather is hurt by this but does not push his stories any further. When his grandfather is attacked it seems as though the stories actually hold truth in them.
As I said, there is a lot of details that are probably in the novel and in trying to fit everything in, it feels rushed. Jake makes it to Wales to search for the home and after a day of searching is able to find it. Miss Peregrine, played by Eva Green, runs the home and is strict, but loving. The peculiar children all have powers: superhuman strength, invisibility, the ability to control air, the ability to project dreams through your eyes, the ability to have live bees inside you, and others. They are remarkable children and Jake adjusts to the new environment easily.
Miss Peregrine is visually stunning and is filled with Tim Burton's aesthetic. There are monsters with wide mouths and no eyes. The twins that live within the home have burlap, clown sacks covering their heads. A former living member of the household who is missing his eyes. You remain on the edge of your seat the more you learn about the children and the dangers they face. The final battle takes place in modern times in a snow covered theme park and there is no other way to describe it than awesome.
The film also has a star studded cast. Allison Janney and Judi Dench make cameo but memorable appearances. Samuel L. Jackson plays the villain and he is as campy as ever. It is a little jarring as the rest of the film has more of a serious tone. However, it's Samuel L. Jackson doing what he does best and there is nothing wrong with that.
Miss Peregrine is a fun ride that can be a bit hard to understand the overall concept, but that is always an issue when dealing with time. I will never tire of Burton's visions and while not all his films are great, they will always be gorgeous to look at. The children all have cool powers, but there is not enough time to get to know them all. Bronwyn, Victor, Emma, Millard, and Enoch all have a moment to show their peculiarities, but that is what you get attached to not the actual characters. Miss Peregrine is there to keep them safe and it is obvious she does her job well. If only there were more time to get to know all the characters while not feeling brushed over or rushed, then the film would be even better.
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