Tim Burton's 'Peculiar' Film is Actually Quite Good; Highly Entertaining

    

   The Tim Burton directed fantasy/adventure Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children is, in a word...peculiar. I'm a huge Tim Burton fan, as a lot of people are, but that being said his track record at the box office recently hasn't been all that great. Frankenweenie underperformed and Big Eyes was kinda, "eh". Amy Adams did win a Golden Globe for her work in that film, however, so there's that. I don't know if it's just that people are over the Burton aesthetic, or that the stories are lacking the luster his visuals typically thrive with, but people seem less enthused about a Tim Burton film these days. Currently speaking, this latest film of his is really quite good. It's not perfect, but it's extremely entertaining. There is a bit of magic mingled with whimsical creepiness that makes Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children an intriguing choice at the cinema.

   A young boy named Jake (Asa Butterfield) discovers clues left by his grandfather (Terence Stamp) that lead him on a quest that spans not only the world but time as well. These clues lead him to Miss Peregrine's (Eva Green) Home for Peculiar Children. Miss Peregrine is peculiar herself, being able to transform into a bird and manipulate time in order to keep her children hidden from the forces of evil. These children also harness various abilities ranging from pyrokinesis, being lighter than air, and invisibility. Once acquainted, Jake soon learns the danger that lurks in the shadows, a force of peculiar people who hunt other peculiars in order to steal their powers (by eating their eyes, bleh) ultimately in search for everlasting life. Jake takes up arms in defense of the school and weird, creepy stuff ensues. Now, I'm well aware of the many comparisons circling the interwebs between this film and another storyline based on a comic book. Think about it: a powerful, enhanced individual opens a sanctuary for other enhanced individuals who ultimately must band together, using their powers to fight the forces of evil. If you guessed X-Men, good on ya. Yes, this film has a familiar feel, being in that same vein, but there is more to it than that.

   There is a magical quality to this story, more so than any X-Men comparison can diminish. Eva Green is amazing in everything she does, and her portrayal of Miss Peregrine is captivating. Tim Burton describes the character as a darker Mary Poppins, and that's honestly the best way to describe both the character and Green's portrayal. All of the peculiar children are intriguing, with truly unique powers. There is a boy who has bees living inside of him. It's odd. There's a girl with a ravenous second mouth on the back of her head. There are many unique characters in this movie, and they all have moments where they shine. None of their uses seemed forced or unnecessary. The child actors are all really quite good and their performances felt real. There are a few older children who eat up more of the screen time than the younger ones, and they do a fantastic job as well. My only qualm is with Asa Butterfield. I've seen him in a few things so far, and he gives the exact same performance in every movie. I get that he's young, and he's not horrible in this movie, but as a lead I had a hard time believing in his character, especially when his 'peculiar' counterparts were killing it in the believability department. I guess the best way to describe it is all the kids felt like real kids; Asa Butterfield felt like a guy in a movie. Does that make sense? I hope so.

   The production overall is really good. Tim Burton is no stranger to striking imagery. Although not the most flamboyant production he's done, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children still offers really engaging visuals, with a healthy mix of practical effects and CGI. The creepy creatures that come after the children are pulled straight out of a nightmare for sure. In human-esque form, they're still creepy. Samuel L. Jackson plays the lead baddie and with his glowing white eyes and piranha teeth, he's as haunting to look at as the creatures themselves. The film is longer than I expected, just over two hours, but that doesn't hurt the movie. It's a bit of a slow burn. Burton uses the time wisely to really flesh out the main characters in order to really engage with them on an audience level. By doing this, you become more invested in the magic, making the third act that much more enticing and entertaining.

   It takes a truly imaginative mind to be able to bring such an imaginative story to life and I think Tim Burton did a great job with this film. It's whimsical, adventurous, funny, striking, and spooky all in one. I really enjoyed it, more so than I thought I would.



IN A NUTSHELL...

   The animated feature Storks is hilarious. It takes an old idea and gives it a modern twist. In this story, Storks have moved on from delivering babies to packages. But when an order for a baby appears, the best delivery stork must scramble to fix the error by delivering the baby. It's a simple story with an effective execution and it delivers the laughs all the way through. A lot of that has to do with the stork tasked to deliver the baby, voiced my Andy Samberg. He's an acquired taste for some, I know, but I think he's hilarious and he brings all of his Sambergness to this role. For an animated feature, it does what it needs to do. It's funny where it needs to be, heart-warming when it needs to be, and is well worth the time spent watching it.