So apparently, this one is being called Tim Burton’s version of X-Men.
Maybe you knew for a while what kind of a film you were expecting considering it’s his next one. So, maybe you thought you would see monsters and freaks of nature who peel their faces off for the final reveal and have an uncomfortable appetite for dark humor? Think again when it comes to Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children.
In case you didn’t know, Tim Burton is one of Hollywood’s most influential directors and has an imagination that’s quite dramatic. Ever watched Beetlejuice, Batman, Batman Returns, Corpse Bride or Sweeney Todd? If you have, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Back at it again to adapt a Ramson Riggs’ 2011 bestseller with the same forgetful name, Miss what’s-her-name-I-have-to-google-it Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, is Burton’s third attempt (counting Big Eyes, Alice in Wonderland and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory) at mellowing down his controversial vision.
Peculiar Jake finds himself jumping out of his ordinary life and into a more fantasy driven one, which resembles something out of a book (pun intended). After an untimely demise in his family, he meets the supposedly famous Miss Peregrine whose screen time falls short of what you expect it to be considering her name is in the movie title. All it takes is a bit of magic to be transported back to 1943, to a place in time and place where she lived, away from the real world.
This time around, familiarly recurring faces like Johnny Depp, Michael Keaton, and Michelle Pfeiffer are replaced by a more youthful presence. The so-called peculiars are quite timid considering they have no contact with the outside world and are an intriguing bunch with their nervous behaviour that can be quite suspicious at times. With character reveals that lead to more along the way with such beautiful yet strange younglings, this surely presented itself as the best part of Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children.
The “Best part” of a Tim Burton production? Unfortunately, it is. I’m sure you expected his style to be on top of things, as opposed to being enthralled by typical teenage problems that stem from jealousy and love to a rebelliousness nature.
Burton has had his moments with films. Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children isn’t one of them. On the contrary, this joins the ranks of his lazier adaptations, one which he has focused on mainstreaming for larger audiences. Apparently, it made more sense with this being a book adaptation, to get only just a lick out of his controversial style whilst pleasing the general audience. Let’s face it, at the end of the day, this is about money over artistic film value, and the goal is to get more people, including children, in on it.
Maybe Warner Bros had full control over the film, maybe they didn’t. What we do know is that he didn’t take it to a dark place like we expected but he did manage to layer the film with a few creepy faces and unfriendly-to-the-eye imagery on occasions. Heck, we even get to see a bit of stop motion which is another win!
Remember the Alice in Wonderland film with Johnny Depp? I used to think that that that movie deserved far more credit considering that, again, it was a mellow version of Burton’s style. I was wrong. Here’s where I say, this is Burton’s version of X-Men, with Alice in Wonderland‘s mistakes. What’s unfortunate is that he mimic’s that film’s same form of storytelling. With one-third of the film focusing on introductions and peaking your curiosity, you will find yourself heavily invested. That even stretches out to the middle ground with more reveals. Yet, in the end, the focus runs away with a villain that was spoken off earlier, leaving the movie to fall to shambles.
As climaxes go, they’re usually satisfying and we all know it. However, Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children’s final duel with the devil (Mr.Barron) chooses to not deliver. From what I know about Riggs’ bestseller, in terms of visuals and setting the mood, it’s quite extraordinary. The same couldn’t be said about the story. And now, you have the film adaptation taking it up a notch with a great build up in storytelling, it’s more than disappointing to let it go to Barron and his friends, who seeks to devour Peculiars. With so much of effort being put into accepting a world that exists within ours, it’s quite unfortunate to watch it being thrown away to an almost action-packed sort of ending with its villain that had far too much CGI. Here’s where you think of the term “practical effects”. I mean, if last year’s Star Wars could do it, why not Burton once again?
But in the end, you realize amidst the disappointment, he brings on board his pseudo-apocalyptic lookalike of a film a certain comedic flare, which feels quite welcoming. You will find that such a thing won’t allow you to stress away all too much “the end of the good guys” routine played by the antagonists as they crack you up with their personalities. It’s occasional light hearted approach can allow you to be mesmerized momentarily.
The cast is no less. Such comedy is cracked up by a well stirred one. Although Eva Green’s portrayal as Peregrine herself is a forgetful one, the same can’t be said about Samuel L Jackson who plays Mr Barron, the main antagonist, whose moon-resembling eyes will catch you by storm. With Hugo fame risen star Asa Butterfield playing Jake alongside his peculiar friends, it adds more value to the film to possibly have more rerun worthy moments.
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children is a mouthful of a title and is less of a movie than originally perceived to be. With no advances in Burton’s style, this proves to be a lethargic re-imagination of what goes on inside his head, partly not doing justice to the great book. If you’re a Burton fan, you might be a bit heartbroken. If you’re not, you will enjoy Peregrine and her children’s adventure, all till the very end!
