"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" Review

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Directed by: Tim Burton

Written by: Jane Goldman

Year: 2016

Tim Burton is not exactly Hollywood's favorite director at the moment. His recent work has mostly consisted of mediocre slog-fests to say the least. However, Big Eyes reminded us of how good he can be when he is on top-form. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children seems to be right up Burton's alley and a way for him to re-establish himself as a great director. Does this film give X-Men a run for its money, or do its peculiarities hinder it?

Jake's grandfather has told him stories about a home where children with strange powers go to stay safe from those that are hunting them. After the death of his grandfather, Jake decides to visit this home and upon doing so finds out that he is one of the peculiar children. Now, he must help his new friends as they fight against the hollows that seek to kill them all. Based on the novel by Ransom Riggs.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children boasts a massive cast, with Asa Butterfield leading the charge as Jake. To put it bluntly, Butterfield is awfully bland in this film. His performance lacks conviction or interest in the source material, which severely bogs down the movie because he is the central character with the main emotional arc. Sadly, Butterfield's acting in this picture does let it down quite a bit. However, Eva Green is on top form, playing the guardian of all the children. Her character can be described as an eccentric mix of Father Time and Sherlock Holmes. She is not featured heavily (surprisingly so) but she does leave a lasting impact on the viewer.

As for the children, they are all quite hit-and-miss depending on your preference. I feel all of the young actors did a fine job, but some certainly stood out more than others. The film is very uneven when it comes to showcasing all of these children. Granted, there are quite a few of them, but some of the kids are rarely featured, such as Claire, the girl with the vicious mouth on the back of her head. Of the peculiars, my two favorites were the invisible Millard and Fiona, a girl who can control plants. I am sure everyone will have certain children that they get attached to, and these two are the ones that I enjoyed the most.

Samuel L. Jackson leads the villainous hollows and he seems to be having a blast. His performance here is incredibly similar to his outing in Kingsman: The Secret Service, minus the lisp. Jackson is a surprising highlight of this movie and the way he plays the character is very unexpected. He is very playful and employs more of his signature style than I think anyone would have anticipated. Some of the biggest laughs actually come from Jackson. This villain was a very pleasant surprise.

The main story revolves around Jake getting accustomed to the time-loop home and the peculiars that live there, but it takes quite a while to get this point. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is slow at the start and does not really pick up until we meet Miss Peregrine. However, once we arrive at the house, the movie becomes much more interesting. I was thoroughly enjoying getting to know all these children and their peculiarities. Not all of them are intriguing, but as a group they function very well.

Where the story falters is when the hollows begin chasing the peculiars. The hollows have a terrific and inspired backstory. Their motivations are very strong and wholly original. However, when they start chasing the children, the film starts running into hurdles. The hollows are not very well designed, looking like a cheap upgrade of Slenderman. But what is really disappointing is how uninvested I found myself during the supposed climax. I did not really care to see the peculiars succeed. There was a lack of value to it because the film is insanely predictable.

The one factor that most inhibits this movie is how badly it falls into many of the young-adult genre trappings. There is a love interest between an outsider and an insider; the main character has the most special power (which is actually quite disappointing this time around); there is a character who strongly dislikes the protagonist; even some of the dialogue is stale. You know exactly what is going to happen and when it will occur because these plot points and emotional beats have been done to death.

What this movie really nails is the right tone. The atmosphere suits the film perfectly, which is aided by the visual hues and colorization. Most of the time, the colors are a tad muted, which helps to emphasize the 1940s era that the home is stuck in. The visual effects are also commendable. There is nothing too spectacular, but the simplicity of it all is where it garners its charm. The hollows and skeletons do not look too great, but everything else is appropriately realized. Burton's fingerprints are all over this picture. The tone, the costumes, the story; it all fits within his wheelhouse. I know the film is based on a novel, but this is the type of story that Burton would come up with. His direction is definitely felt, but not very impactful.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children does not demonstrate a major comeback from Tim Burton, but it is enjoyable in its own right. This movie rises on the strength of its characters alone, with the exception of the protagonist. Meeting all these children with various personalities is the best aspect the film has to offer. Even the villains are strongly constructed and great fun. But the uneven pacing, lack of an interesting story, and, worst of all, genre clichés, drastically detract from this movie. The second act is the best part because the film focuses solely on learning more about these children. I would have preferred if the movie were solely about Jake meeting these kids. I would not have needed a good story if this were the case, that is how strong the characters are. Sadly, I can only cautiously recommend this to the morbidly curious. Though I enjoyed it as a whole, there are too many flaws to ignore.

Grade: B-