Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

This movie, at two hours and seven minutes long, is a fantasy and adventure movie that is an adaptation of the book Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. The movie itself does have multiple differences from the book’s plot, as what plot stays the same from a movie adaptation? However, I personally believe they are both a good watch and read because of their unique storylines and interesting characters. I would recommend the movie though, if you want something less formal to entertain because the book leans heavily on a formalized Victorian style. 

The director of this film is Tim Burton, a very well-known name in the film industry. He is most known for his works, being mostly of the gothic variety, and while this movie is not a complete outlier of that, it plays less on the stereotypical “Burtonesque” style that has been coined from how distinct it is. As a result of this, fans of the iconic style will most likely be disappointed at the lack of it.

After the death of his grandfather, Jake travels to Cairnholm Island, a place that his grandfather spoke about often while telling stories of his childhood. While there, he discovers that the stories told to him about an interesting group of kids were all true, and they stay under the watch of a woman named Miss Peregrine, who could morph into a bird and manipulate time. These children all live in a large home that is kept in a time loop in the year 1943 for their safety, where they stay in the same 24 hours for years in a secure spot to keep them safe from the villains of the film who want to kill them for their own selfish desires. The reason these children are in hiding is because they were each born with a certain peculiarity, such as floating on air or growing plants in seconds. Jake befriends them all and visits as a guest for days until he is followed by the main antagonist, who kidnaps Miss Peregrine, leaving the kids to fend for themselves. Now, Jake must help them after discovering his ability to see the invisible monsters that threaten them, but will they all make it out alive? Will Miss Peregrine be saved before her death?

The cast of this movie doesn’t have many well-known actors in it, as many of the actors are children; however, I believe this does not take away from the amusement in the movie. However, there is a pretty well-known face in the cast, that being Samuel L. Jackson as the main antagonist, Mr. Barron. Most would recognize this actor from the Marvel franchise or his many other film endeavors. I believe he is definitely a good fit to play the manipulative and slightly cocky antagonist. 

In conclusion, the actual film, as summarized, has a very imaginative plotline, intriguing storytelling with a hook that catches most, and as many good movies have, an ending fight scene that was fun to watch. The CGI found in this movie is relatively good for the time this came out, which is surprising considering the extensive use of it throughout the entirety of the children’s and villain’s screen time. This film has a nostalgic place with me so of course there is bias here, but I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys the supernatural and mystery style of media, as well as anyone wanting to take the time to enjoy this peculiar world.