Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children

Director: Tim Burton
Running time: 127 minutes
Certificate: 12A


Based on a book I haven't read but I am aware of, Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children is directed by Tim Burton, and without knowing the source material, Burton seems to be a good fit. Burton is one of the few directors who has a distinct creative style, which is why his best films are those of original source material, when he adapts other peoples work it usually ends up a mess (Alice in wonderland and Charlie and the chocolate factory to name but a few). But this adaptation is better than those, but it still has a lot of problems.

Jacob's (Asa Butterfield) grandfather (Terence Stamp) has always told him stories of monsters, and the peculiar children he met while living in an orphanage during the second world war. When he dies he leaves behind a book with a letter from a certain Alma Peregrine, which leads Jacob to go to the Island where the Children's orphanage is. On arrival he uncovers mysteries about himself, his grandfather, as well as the house itself.

The film is gorgeous, the locations and the visual effects are really impressive, there are little moments that really take your breath away. The characters are interesting, even if much of the supporting cast are just there in the background. And each of the peculiar powers of the children are effective enough so that the character's are humane and relatable, rather than just superhero caricatures.

Of the peculiar children, only Emma Bloom (Ella Purnell) is given much depth, she becomes a love interest to Jacob, and whose peculiarity is that she is as light as air. Eva Green is wonderfully cast as Miss Peregrine, she isn't the manic and over powerful character I had imagined her to be. But her role is much smaller than I expected, and she doesn't really do that much in the grand scheme of things.

Samuel Jackson pops up in the last third of the film as the villain, Mr Barron, who appears to come from an entirely different film altogether. Not only is the performance very by the numbers, the look of the character is bland compared with everything else. All in all, the character is forgettable.

It is also when the villain shows up that the film begins to fall by the wayside, serious plot points just happen and then rush along. Which is a shame because the first the two thirds of the film build along really well, with lots of exposition (something I really liked and found engaging). Some of the plot twists work, and there is real emotion to some of the characters, but it's really hard to care when most of them have little development, and when the plot begins to get muddled towards the end.

Another problem is the tone, while centred on a group of children and marketed as a children's story, there are a few moments that are genuinely shocking even for an adult, a scene with brought back to life baby dolls fighting with knives is one example. And there are a number of scares that might be too frightening for children below the age of seven or eight.

The film dances around important themes of age and belonging, but never really goes anywhere with anything. That's not to say that there aren't moments of real emotion that are thought provoking. But in the end it all feels weightless, and style over substance.

Verdict: I would just about recommend seeing the film, especially if you're a Tim Burton fan, but don't break your back over it.

3/5

C