Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” stars Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Chris O’Dowd, Terence Stamp, Ella Purnell, Judi Dench, and Samuel L. Jackson.  Released on September 30, 2016, the film is about a teenager who is chosen to protect a group of children with unusual abilities from dark forces.

The film is directed by Tim Burton, who also directed films such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and Big Eyes.  It is based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Ransom Riggs.  This is going to sound pretty dumb, but when I saw the trailer for this film for the first time, I thought to myself, “This reminds me of X-Men.”  I mean, think about it.  Both of these source materials involve people that have special abilities and live in some sort of home far away from the normal humans.  If you disagree, I’m fine with it.  I just like to point things out.  This latest film from the odd mind of Tim Burton is another book-to-film adaptation that might have the potential of becoming another young adult film franchise since the book spawned two sequels.  The word of mouth for this one seems healthy, which is one of the reasons why I went to see this peculiar film.  I haven’t read the novel, so I will be reviewing it as its own film.

Pros:
Some of the performances were good, with Eva Green being the highlight as the title character.

Tim Burton’s style fits perfectly well with the film’s concept.

The visual effects were solid.

Cons: 
A by-the-numbers “special one” storyline.

Samuel L. Jackson’s portrayal as Mr. Barron can be a bit over-the-top and silly at times.

Some moments felt a bit rushed and weak.

Final thoughts: There’s nothing peculiar about “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”, but with the combination between Tim Burton’s stylistic and creepy imagination and Ransom Riggs‘ take on people with special powers, it’s an enjoyable visual treat.  To be fair, I was hoping for something better because Tim Burton (duh...).  However, I did manage to find some enjoyment out of this one and who knows, maybe they might adapt the sequel if it does well at the box office.  If you’re a fan of the novel and/or Tim Burton’s filmography, this film might suit your needs.

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