Title: Movie Review: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children: A Lot Of Promise But Little Delivery
Author: phatmammasboy
Recovered Author: phatmammasboy
Published Date: 2016-10-06
Original URL: https://geeknode.co.za/2016/10/movie-review-miss-peregrines-home-peculiar-children-lot-promise-little-delivery
Wayback URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20170713164037id_/http://www.geeknode.co.za/2016/10/movie-review-miss-peregrines-home-peculiar-children-lot-promise-little-delivery/
Recovery Confidence: high
Categories: Movie Review
Tags: Eva Green, Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children, Movie, review, Samuel L. Jackson, tim burton, Upcoming Films

- Genre Fantasy
- Director Tim Burton
- Producer Peter Chernin
- Actors Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Chris O'Dowd, Samuel L. Jackson
- Reviewed on Cinema (3D)
- Available on Cinema (3D)
- Air Date 2016-10-07

- phatmammasboy

- 9 months ago

- 0 0

The film gave me a somewhat dichotomous viewing experience. One part being a charming, unnerving and intricately woven tale carved by authentic characters and genuine emotion. The other, a dumbed down Hollywood experience aimed at quick dollars and dwindling quality.

The film is based on the book by Ransom Riggs. Critically acclaimed as well as being a best seller, the book is a true gem in young adult literature, pushing the boundaries of conventional storytelling by mixing in darker and more mature themes. While most films based on books fall prey to the ol’, “the book did it way better” curse… I had not read the book at the time of watching the film, and would thus have a baseless argument to that prudish comment. Therefore… the review that follows is based solely on the film itself and independent of what brilliance or hogwash lay in the pages of the book.

The film tells the story of a young boy, Jacob Portman, played by Asa Butterfield (Hugo, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) who witnesses his grandfather’s rather nasty demise. His death seemed to relate to the many stories his grandfather told him about an orphanage for peculiar children he grew up in. After a set of creepy visions and clues left by his grandfather, Jacob decides to go on a journey and uncover the truth about the stories his grandfather told him as a child and the actual cause of his death.

Directed by Tim Burton, the master of the gothic and strange, I went into the film not expectant of his early films’ originality and influence, based purely on the lackluster of his latest adaptations Alice and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The beginning of the film plays out with deeply embedded mystery and painstakingly carves out its multilayered characters. Its Tim Burton’s craft played out at its peak and reminiscent of his earlier films. Eva Green shines as Miss Peregrine as well as Chris O’Dowd as a withdrawn but somewhat caring father. Each of the children are portrayed with a rather unsettling eccentricity that creates an enormity and variance with regard to the world that Jacob had entered. Each peculiarity is introduced through a somewhat odd situation that gives the viewer a sense of wonder and asking oneself… what if? The premise the film sets up and the world the film exists in creates wonderment and allure for its potential.

However… its when the villains the film alludes to throughout the first half are formally introduced, that the film begins to lose its charm and fall into a generic popcorn film stirred with uninspired action and underwhelming dialogue. The greatest shortfall, being the weak overly cartoonish main villain in the form of Mr. Barron, played by Samuel L. Jackson. I awaited eagerly throughout the film for his emergence, based purely on the dread and horror his character suggested… only to be introduced to a half developed villain filled with clichéd dialogue and a comedic performance.

It was however the action scenes that really pushes the film into a completely different realm and may even categorize the film in a different genre if viewed in parts. Poorly executed with expected scenarios and over-the-top CGI, the deeply developed tale that had a lot of potential falls prey to Hollywood laziness and quick money grabbin’.

The film gave me a somewhat dichotomous viewing experience. One part being a charming, unnerving and intricately woven tale carved by authentic characters and genuine emotion. The other, a dumbed down Hollywood experience aimed at quick dollars and dwindling quality. The film is based on the book by Ransom Riggs. Critically acclaimed as well as being a best seller, the book is a true gem in young adult literature, pushing the boundaries of conventional storytelling by mixing in darker and more mature themes. While most films based on books fall prey to the ol’, “the book did it way better” curse… I had not read the book at the time of watching the film, and would thus have a baseless argument to that prudish comment. Therefore… the review that follows is based solely on the film itself and independent of what brilliance or hogwash lay in the pages of the book. The film tells the story of a young boy, Jacob Portman, played by Asa Butterfield (Hugo, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) who witnesses his grandfather’s rather nasty demise. His death seemed to relate to the many stories his grandfather told him about an orphanage for peculiar children he grew up in. After a set of creepy visions and clues left by his grandfather, Jacob decides to go on a journey and uncover the truth about the stories his grandfather told him as a child and the actual cause of his death. Directed by Tim Burton, the master of the gothic and strange, I went into the film not expectant of his early films’ originality and influence, based purely on the lackluster of his latest adaptations Alice and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The beginning of the film plays out with deeply embedded mystery and painstakingly carves out its multilayered characters. Its Tim Burton’s craft played out at its peak and reminiscent of his earlier films. Eva Green shines as Miss Peregrine as well as Chris O’Dowd as a withdrawn but somewhat caring father. Each of the children are portrayed with a rather unsettling eccentricity that creates an enormity and variance with regard to the world that Jacob had entered. Each peculiarity is introduced through a somewhat odd situation that gives the viewer a sense of wonder and asking oneself… what if? The premise the film sets up and the world the film exists in creates wonderment and allure for its potential. However… its when the villains the film alludes to throughout the first half are formally introduced, that the film begins to lose its charm and fall into a generic popcorn film stirred with uninspired action and underwhelming dialogue. The greatest shortfall, being the weak overly cartoonish main villain in the form of Mr. Barron, played by Samuel L. Jackson. I awaited eagerly throughout the film for his emergence, based purely on the dread and horror his character suggested… only to be introduced to a half developed villain filled with clichéd dialogue and a comedic performance. It was however…

Movie Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children: A Lot Of Promise But Little Delivery

Movie Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children: A Lot Of Promise But Little Delivery

2016-10-06

phatmammasboy

Total - 5.5

55
5.5

Watch this film if you don’t expect much. It may suggest a sense of wonder and potential, but the prominent disjointedness may leave you with a bland taste of too much of really nothing… very similar to the really large packet of rice cakes I got for my diet yesterday.

User Rating: Be the first one !

6

Second Opinion
Jupiter
I enjoyed the telling of an exciting newly styled tale of mystery and magic that for once didn’t include wizards or dragons. The stunning Eva Greene performed fantastically and added a classical dramatic, yet experienced style to an otherwise children’s story. It was at the end of the day, a children’s movie, though, I think although normally Samuel L. Jackson would have provided a stunning performance, I feel he was miss cast as the villain here. There was no sense of dread or fear, more a playful baddie. Was is a refreshing idea? YES! Should you go and pay for a ticket, yes! Anticipate a better, deeper toned sequel.

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phatmammasboy

Entertainment Author at Geek Node

After years of delusions believing he will grow up to be Steven Spielberg, months of therapy finally helped him overcome his disorder. He now believes he will grow up to be both the Coen Brothers. Ziyaad has taken his love for movies to an abnormal level, leaving his glamorous job as an engineer to make movies, write about movies, talk about movies and on occasion do expressive dance showing his love for movies. He knows his movies like he knows the time of his bowel movements (surprisingly very well)…

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Article Tags:
Eva Green · Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children · Movie · review · Samuel L. Jackson · tim burton · Upcoming Films

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Movie Review
