MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN (2016) MOVIE NEWS & REVIEW

miss peregrine's home for unusual children (2016) movie

Genre              |   Fantasy Adventure

Classification   |   M

Running time   |   127 minutes

Released         |   29 September 2016

cast

Eva Green ... Miss Peregrine
Asa Butterfield ... Jake
Samuel L. Jackson ... Barron
Judi Dench ... Miss Avocet
​Rupert Everett ... Ornithologist
Allison Janney ... Dr. Golan
Chris O'Dowd ... Frank
​Terence Stamp ... Abe

director

Tim Burton

writer

​Ransom Riggs ... (based upon the novel written by)
 
Jane Goldman ... (screenplay by)

cinematographer

​Bruno Delbonnel

music

​Michael Higham
Matthew Margeson

film editor

​Chris Lebenzon

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box office result

Worldwide               $ 296,485,719  

Australia                 $​​​8,442,566

North America        $​ ​​87,242,834  

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the best dialogue

Emma Bloom: If I show you the rest, you have to promise not to run away.

Victor: Do you want to know what killed me?

Emma Bloom: You don't have to make us feel safe... because you've made us feel brave.

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MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN (2016) MOVIE IMAGES

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MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN (2016) STORY SYNOPSIS

​When his beloved grandfather leaves Jake clues to a mystery that spans different worlds and times, he finds a magical place known as Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children. But the mystery and danger deepen as he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers - and their terrifying enemies. Ultimately, Jake discovers that only his own special peculiarity can save his new friends. Based on the novel "Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children," written by Ransom Riggs.

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN (2016) MOVIE REVIEW

Reviewed by Mark Geraghty   |   Review date 28 September 2016
Pop ​Movee Rating ⭐⭐⭐½

Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is not his best film, but it is a definite return to form for one of Hollywood’s contemporary auteurs. Very few filmmakers can claim to able to deliver their “vision” through the mainstream studio system, yet, time and again, over the last thirty years, Tim Burton has brought to life stories filled with characters, settings, costumes and makeup that are a direct representation of how he sees the world around him. Think of Beetlejuice, the 1989 Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Alice in Wonderland and Big Eyes. These are films that conjure an array of images that flash through one’s mind in a manner that are only matched by the likes of Stanley Kubrick or Ridley Scott in their ability for the viewer to almost instantaneously match the image to its maker.

If there is one criticism of Burton’s new film is that it repackages many of the Director’s box of tropes more than fans of his work would care for. Much of what he shows viewers in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children are tried and true, but, for someone who hasn’t tasted success for a little while, there’s certainly no harm in falling back on the tricks that have worked so well for him in the past. Where Burton gets more goodwill in this film than in recent efforts such as Dark Shadows or Frankenweenie is Jane Goldman’s screenplay adaptation of Ransom Riggs novel of the same name. Goldman has demonstrated, with her work on Kick Ass, X-Men: First Class and Kingsman: The Secret Service, that she has a particular talent for taking previously established characters and imbuing them with a voice that is both street-smart and intellectually engaging. She manages to do this yet again, taking Riggs’ novel, adapting the premise, but providing the screenplay with enough diversity that the film stands on its own artistic merit. Goldman’s screenplay veers away from the second half of Riggs’ book quite dramatically, providing Samuel L. Jackson’s Mr.Barron with an opportunity to chew the scenery, much like he did with Valentine in her script for Kingsman. Burton’s Gothic eccentricity matched with Goldman’s English sensibility delivers a film that operates at maximum efficiency but within its limits.

The other tick for Burton is the cast of eclectic characters that inhabit Miss Peregrine’s home. Eva Green, as the titular heroine, is an oddity that transfixes the viewer. Chomping on a pipe, speaking in a clipped, matter-of-fact manner and always checking her fob watch, Miss Peregrine is the undisputed protector of the children who have come to live with her. Even when she is confronted by Jackson’s gleefully-villainous Mr. Barron, she leaves no doubt as to who gives the orders in her home. Green is not without her allies. Asa Butterfield, as Jake, the story’s central character, plays the ultimate nice guy hero. He feels he’s different, people treat him differently, but he hasn’t quite worked out why he’s different. Embarking upon a journey, laid out to him by his dying Grandfather Abe (Terence Stamp), Jake discovers the time-looping world of the Peculiars right at the very moment all those around him are questioning his very sanity. Butterfield never seems stretched and handles with aplomb. Young English actress Ella Purnell delivers a delightful performance as Emma Bloom, a Peculiar who, if left untethered, floats away like a leaf on the wind, but can pin villains to a wall and even refloat sunken ships with the sheer force of her lungs. The only bump, as far as casting goes, is Chris O’Dowd as Jake’s father, Franklin. The decision to have O’Dowd adopt an American accent is a mistake and his performance feels as though he is fighting against his Irish brogue in every scene in which he appears.

Along with its engaging characters, another obvious benefit of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is that it’s relatively family friendly entertainment. Jackson’s Mr. Barron and his oddball collection of bad guys, including the eyeball-chomping Hologasts, are on par with the early Harry Potter films in terms of their impact; helping the film’s overall audience appeal. A number of Potter behind-the-scenes personnel worked on the film including French Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, working with Burton for a third time; who does everything needed to capture the wonderfully-realised make-up, costumes and settings in their exquisite detail. In a departure from his previous movies, Burton’s long-time musical collaborator Danny Elfman makes way for Michael Higham and Matthew Margeson. This new collaboration results in a lighter, softer musical score that tends to highlight the eccentricities of the characters without drawing specific attention to them and distracting the viewer from the narrative. It’s not his finest work, but the film is brought together in seamless fashion by Burton to make Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children an above-average fantasy adventure that is a visual delight in which to be enthralled.

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