Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children Review – An Oddly Inviting Trip From the Genius of Tim Burton
- Details
- Category: Film
- Published on Tuesday, 04 October 2016 07:52
- Written by Janet Walker
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children, from 20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment, brings to the screen an odd tale of gifted children, their unique house mistress, a wayfaring, time traveling, stranger and a race against the clock.
Directed by Tim Burton, Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children stars Eva Green, Samuel L. Jackson, Dame Judi Dench, Rupert Everett, Allison Janney and Terence Stamp.
Also starring a talented cast of scene stealing child actors including Asa Butterfield, Ella Bloom, Finlay MacMillan, Lauren McCrostie, Hayden Keeler-Stone, Georgia Pemberton, Milo Parker, Raffiella Chapman, Pixie Davies, Joseph Odwell, Thomas Odwell, Cameron King and Louis Davison. Miss Peregrine’s is based on the novel written by Ransom Riggs and the screenplay by Jane Goldman.
Miss Peregrine's is a mystery unfolding as our storyteller, Jake played by Asa Butterfield, fascinated by maps, history and time finds clues to a mystery that reaches back into history and so consumed with the ideas and excitement of the journey he finds the path way.
Soon he finds Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children which is where we meet our group of peculiar children and equally eccentric house mistress, Miss Alma LeFay Perigrine, played by Eva Green, a precise, time keeping for safety purposes caregiver who loves and understands the children and their gifts. It’s not a gushing display of emotion more tenderness, protection and understanding.
As we arrive at the home we are on the same wide-eyed journey as Jake, seeing the peculiarities played out for the first time. We meet Emma Bloom, played by Ella Purnell, her fire red hair gives her talent away, Olive Abroholos Elephanta, played by Lauren McCrostie, whose free spirit is grounded until she deems it necessary to fly, Enoch O’Conner, played by Finlay MacMillan, a scientist bordering on genius, a well-dressed Horace Somnusson played by Hayden Keeler-Stone, who understands the clothes do make the man.
We meet Hugh Apiston, played by Milo Parker, our two masked Ballerina’s played by Joseph Odwell and Thomas Odwell, Bronwyn Bruntley a child of strength played by Pixie Davis, Claire Densmore, played by Raffiella Chapman and Fiona Fruanfeld who has the gift of growth, played by Georgia Pemberton.
Each of our children have a special gift whether seen or unseen that during the climatic scenes they are a team, a family of orphans working together to keep the family they’ve become together. The household is a fanciful, quirky, creative fun house.
Miss Peregrine’s is genius. One can only imagine the screenplay filled with Tim Burton fantastical, bigger, elements. His handiwork in translating this to the screen is an awesome wonder. Watching the climatic scenes as they unfold layer upon layer of obstacles one wonders of the thoughts that were dancing through Mr. Burton’s mind. It is pure genius.
With films like Miss Peregrine’s, bigger, grander, uniquely detailed, the particulars are very fine, and represent both the enhanced and the miniscule and Mr. Burton doesn’t miss a beat. Everything is finely tuned a well-oiled machine presenting this vast gorgeous film with bold colors, sights, an early 20th Century World’s Fair feel, the Big Top explosion. It is a ride worth taking!
Miss Peregrine's has Tim Burton’s unrestrained imagination, the appealing wizardry of children outsmarting the evil adults, the explosive superpower of tent pole classics and the strong, sympathetic storyline that beckons with delight the audience into this whimsical world.
The talent, and I’m focusing on the child actors, as the adults are certainly accustomed to accolades and praise. These children are enduring. The peculiarities which are obvious in some cases, and hidden beneath a mane of locks or under the surface and are analogies of “real” life weirdness, as they would say, unique and unusual gifts that make each one exceptional. The children are in character and capture the essence of their distinctiveness.
The children are the crux of the story and they bring strong talent, professionalism beyond their years and certainly worthy of top billing and strong praise.
In 3D, the eye-popping colors bounce off the screen as do each of the uncharacteristic, atypical and eccentric challenges the children live with and face as they are determined to stay young, in mind and body.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is playing in theaters everywhere! See this film and prepare for a Tim Burton treat! Fully fun! Absorbing and amazingly exceptional! Stay peculiar and young at heart!
