Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children
Directed By: Tim Burton
Grade: C
Miss Peregrine’s tells the tale of Jake (Asa Butterfield) who, after the tragic death of his grandfather, convinces his father to take him to Wales so he can look into the stories Abe used to tell him. Stories about a houseful of children with special powers watched over by Miss Peregrine (Eva Green) a governess type who can also create time loops and turn into a bird.
Miss Peregrine’s is based on the novel by Ransom Riggs. Honestly, I was not that big on the book as some people but the movie has Eva Green, whom I love, and it did seem like something that would be up Tim Burton’s alley so I had some hope. And it was just… okay. Okay and uneven and seriously don’t think to hard trying to make sense of the end.
First some good. Eva Green, Samuel L. Jackson, Allison Janney, and Ella Purnell are all really good in their roles. Considering she’s the title character Miss Peregrine doesn’t get to do much. Most of the supporting children are fine with their roles. The movie is really pretty to watch. That sounds like I’m reaching right? It does. But I did like the setting, the house, the costumes…
It also has a couple of creepy moments like with what bad guy Barron (Jackson) does with the kids. Enoch’s power of bringing things to life creeped me out a couple of times.
It was also cool to see Vesper and M share the screen even though that could have lasted longer for me.
Asa Butterfield does fine when he’s listening to people talk or with the more action stuff toward the end. His fear and grief, his confusion, his interactions with stronger actors… I just wasn’t that impressed. He just came off as stilted and I think probably could have used some better direction. His scenes with Eva Green and Ella Purnell- I sometimes forgot he was even present. And not in a good way.
As far as the romance, well, I won’t give anything away but I found it a little weird in the book and it still feels weird here.
But the ending definitely fell apart for me. Again it changes from the first book and they do something that doesn’t make any sense. My friend and I were trying to figure it out but it made less and less sense the more we tried to justify it.
Miss Peregrine’s has some good moments and performances but needed a stronger script and a different ending.
Recommend: Wait to watch it at home.