Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
/"You don't have to make us feel safe, because you've made us feel brave."
Filmology Rating: 2 out of 4
After the mysterious passing of his grandfather, Jake is not sure what to do at all. He doesn’t know if he is going crazy due to seeing the odd way his grandfather died and the peculiar last words he spoke to Jake, or if it was his grandfather which was the crazy one. He decides to follow the strange clues that his grandpa left him to either put things to rest and move on, or to actually discover the wonderful things that might lie ahead.
This is a movie that is based on the novel "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children," written by Ransom Riggs. I for one did not read it and I actually never even saw a trailer for this film. On top of that, I really had no idea what this movie was about other than it’s a cross between Harry Potter, X-Men, and Narnia and is also directed by the great Tim Burton. This is one of a select few times where I have gone into a movie blind not having any idea what to expect. But enough of that, you guys don't care about that crap. You beautiful people want to know if it was any good or not and if it’s worth your money…..
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was decent. The funny thing about it is that when I first left the theater, I thought that it was a good movie and that I had a fun time. Turns out I did not have a fun time but rather an ok time. Who knew!?! Anyway let’s get back on track. The more I thought about this film, the more I picked it apart and realized how sloppy it was at time and I was constantly thinking of different ways that would’ve made the film better.
To start off, the film starts off way to slow. After the first scene, we have about an hour before anything else interesting happens. After the first scene, the mysterious death of the grandfather, I was very intrigued and wondering what was going to happen. Then throughout the next hour, I proceeded to lose interest. There were glimmers of hope here and there tried to really bring me back in but it never quite worked. I feel like this movie is mostly spectacle without bringing much substance to the table. Sure the food looks good but the taste was missing. The movie lacked flavor. I wanted more emotion, I wanted more depth and character development, and I wanted more fun and sadly, I left hungry. At times when they do try and give me those things, it felt forced and like it was desperately trying to work but never quite reaching the mark.
Now there were some aspects that I did enjoy; aspects that did keep me from falling asleep were qualities such as the relationship with Jake and his grandfather and how he experienced the trauma of the situation. That to me did feel real and did give you some emotion. Unfortunately this only last during the first few scenes. Then we have an overall interesting story premise that I really did want to get behind and love. The plot really was something unique and I felt it was almost made for Tim Burton to direct. It is whimsical and enchanting yet having a dark and spooky tone to it. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children really did suit Burton well, unfortunately it just didn’t have the same charm that some of his other films have had.
Unless you are a huge fan of the book or of Tim Burton, I’d say skip this one or at least wait till you can rent it. It just doesn't have enough depth and fun to overcome the slow lackluster feel the film had.
Rating: Skip It
-Nick
The market for films based on young adult novels has reached a point of high saturation. While each film to hit the market tends to have some sense of individual identity, the films has a whole often hold striking similarities to one another. These similarities can range from a relatively simple script, to a wide variety of cliché characters and plot devices. Along comes visionary director Tim Burton to attempt to breathe life into yet another young adult novel. “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” showcases a great deal of visual imagination, but it cannot help but fall into many of the ruts that plague movies based on young adult novels.
“Miss Peregrine’s” is based on a young adult series that feels like a blending of the X-Men and Harry Potter series. The film follows Jake (played by Asa Butterfield) and his awkward years as a teenager growing up in Florida. Jake’s only strong relationship with his family is with his eccentric grandfather played skillfully by veteran actor Terence Stamp. Jakes’ grandfather Abe has always had a knack for telling outlandish stories about his larger than life escapades. One of these stories centers on a certain home for peculiar children where Abe spent time when he was a child. Abe has tried his hardest to make Jake believe his stories, in spite of how outlandish they may seem. Early on, Abe is attacked by a supernatural presence that immediately sets Jake on a new path. This path leads him to the fabled home for peculiar children that is managed by Miss Peregrine (played by Eva Green). All of the children in this home have strange abilities that require that make them unique. Because of their abilities, Miss Peregrine must hide them from the outside world. In spite of her best attempts, a group of monsters led by the Barron (Samuel L. Jackson) find the children and Jake must use his newfound abilities to protect them.
Tim Burton’s take on “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” plays to the director’s visual strengths, but ultimately fails to make the film compelling as a whole. While Asa Butterfield is an incredibly talented young actor, his role as Jake falls flat in many aspects. As a protagonist, Jake is trying to find his purpose throughout the majority of the film. This search for purpose is a common characteristic of most young adult novels, but the lack of depth or development with Jake is a significant drawback of the film. Even more notable is clear lack of development in regards to the peculiar children. The children’s many abilities are on display, but their personalities and relationships are given very little attention. Without the considerable charisma and energy of Eva Green as Miss Peregrine, the first half of the film would have been a complete slog. In the end, the lackluster first half is only saved by the energy and visual imagination that is present in the latter half of the film.
What redeems “Miss Peregrines” to some extent is the second half of the film. When Jake is left as the leader of the group, he must take charge to stop the comically evil Barron from carrying out his evil plan. Burtons affinity for absurd characters and situations create an exciting closing act to this film that stands clearly apart from the young-adult tropes that plague the first half. By including excellent set design, and an extended scene of stop-motion animation, Burton gives the film the much needed breath of life it so desperately needed. These action sequences alone make the film worth a viewing, even if the handling of the first half leaves a lot to be desired.
Rating: Rent It
-Tyler