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Review: 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children' a satisfying adaptation
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A still from "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children". (20th Century Fox/File)
M
ovies based on best-selling books may receive two very different reactions from those who have read the original story: a complete disappointment, or satisfaction as the story and lovable characters come to life in a well-balanced manner.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, a story about adorable-looking kids with unusual abilities who are being hunted down by evil monsters, arguably couldn't be in better hands than the visionary Tim Burton, who himself is known for his "peculiar" works, such as Edward Scissorhands (1990), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Alice in Wonderland (2010).
In fact, after the Twentieth Century Fox-based production company Chernin Entertainment bought the rights to film the best-seller debut novel of Ransom Riggs, Burton was the only name that crossed their mind to helm the project. “The second we saw the manuscript we knew Tim Burton would be the perfect director. It’s as if it were written for him,” Jenno Topping, the president of Chernin Entertainment and the film's producer, reportedly said. The book author himself is said to be a longtime Burton admirer. "It’s not hard to let go of my book when Tim Burton is the surgeon performing the operation," said Riggs.
(Read also: Eva Green plays a funkier Mary Poppins in new movie)
The movie starts with a somewhat horror-vibe title sequence--which probably explained why it is rated PG-13--that abruptly changes into the bluish and summery scene of a Florida beach. Told through the viewpoint of Jake (Asa Butterfield), a teenager who thinks he's having a very ordinary life, the story begins with Jake receiving a strange phone call from his grandpa, Abe (Terence Stamp), with whom he is very close, while working in a supermarket. Worried that Abe might be having another dementia episode, Jake decides to visit his house. Something has apparently gone wrong and Jake finds Abe in a critical condition in the woods near the house, he then leaves another strange message before he takes his last breath. Determined to discover what has really happened to Abe, also about his past life in a refuge that he often shared with Jake alongside odd old photos when he was little, Jake sets off on a journey that will forever change his ordinary life.
With the main message of "staying peculiar" by not only accepting our differences but taking pride in them, the film delivers the plot in such a way that those who haven't read the book will find themselves curious throughout the movie about what this and that character can do and what's going to happen next, thanks to noted screenwriter Jane Goldman (Kingsman: The Secret Service, X-Men: First Class, Woman in Black) who adapted the novel for the screen.
As Miss Peregrine, Eva Green is, as always, delightful to watch, and the children also give quite convincing portrayals thanks to the already solid characters invented by Riggs. Audiences can also expect to find other renowned cast members in the film, such as Samuel L. Jackson, Judi Dench, Chris O'Dowd, Allison Janney and Rupert Everett.
