Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

I’m torn between starting this off with ‘Films like this remind us all of why it is we loved Tim Burton’s early work so much’ and ‘Seriously, is Samuel L. Jackson in every film nowadays?!’ Both? Both. Both is good.

In modern day Florida, awkward teenager Jake (Asa Butterfield) struggles to fit in with his peers and attempts to get through everyday life. With a mother and father more concerned with their respective lives than the welfare and happiness of their son, his father figure is presented in the form of his Grandfather Abe, who encouraged his sense of adventure and told Jake tales of his triumphs in the war fighting ‘monsters’. After Abe dies under mysterious circumstances, Jake is encouraged to visit a small island off the coast of Wales with his father in order to find closure in the children’s home Abe was sent to as a child. However, what he finds creates more questions than it does answers as he encounters Miss Peregrine and attempts to come to grips with his Grandfather’s past. Jake is suddenly thrust into a world where the threat against the ones he loves is one only he can stop.

The positives: This film has a lot going for it. A strong cast including Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris O’Dowd (good to see him branching out!) and Dame Judi Dench allow for the acting to be consistent and entertaining. Eva Green’s portrayal of the falcon herself was also a stand out, but at times felt a little overdone. All of the acting from the children was also surprisingly good. Shout out to Cameron King who was invisible for the whole film and yet still managed to be one of the most charismatic and funny characters. I am pleased to say that for once I don’t have to critique the pacing of the film: it used its time wisely, fleshed out characters and didn’t rush through important plot points for the sake of cramming in more action. As well as this, Burton’s signature style is clearly evident here: there are a variety of scary and disturbing elements that only serve to make the film not only more entertaining, but uniquely Burton. The cinematography and shot symmetry are beautiful and you can’t help but admire the use of colour, set and costume design: they all bear the Burton trademark and they really help to set this film apart from some of his other more recent work, creating a stunning world audiences will love stepping into. 

The negatives: For those of you who are looking for a book accurate adaptation (that is the original book of the same title by Ransom Riggs which went number 1 a whole bunch of times, seriously its excellent and I recommend giving it a read), this isn’t it. Anyone who has read the book and seen the trailer will already have noticed that Olive’s and Emma’s powers have been switched, and the film focuses a lot more on making it relevant in today’s modern world meaning that it has a few plot holes that would have been solved by the book’s plot. Its difficult to pin down, but there tends to be a hollowness to the film that can make it difficult to engage with, almost as if too much effort was point into its looks rather than the importance of underlying substance. As well as this, the film is mostly what you see is what you get: if you’ve seen the trailers and TV spots and have decided its not for you, seeing it isn’t going to change your mind. Still, that doesn’t necessarily negate the film, its’ certainly a good time, but that may leave some fans disappointed.

All in all, Miss Peregrines Annoyingly Long Title to Type Out is a fun, entertaining and well paced film that parents and kids alike are going to enjoy: but fair warning, this isn’t exactly Mary Poppins (more like her slightly off kilter cousin) and will possibly give some of the little ones nightmares, so make sure the tiny tots are prepared. Its worth a watch if you’re a Burton fan or book fan, but make sure you know what you’re in for before buying your tickets.