Starring: Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson
Directed By: Tim Burton
Running Time: 127 Minutes
UK Release Date: 30th September 2016
Certificate: 12A
Tim Burton is arguably one of the most visceral and imaginative filmmakers around, whose trademark obsession with all things morbid and weird has made him an iconic director. It’s just a shame that most of his recent work hasn’t hit the heights set by Beetlejuice (1988) or Edward Scissorhands (1990), and the last film of his that I really enjoyed was Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street back in 2007.
His style isn’t for all and his Planet of the Apes (2001) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) remakes are best forgotten. But I was curious to see this latest film to see if it captured his trademark macabre magic, or was yet another movie where it appears he was just a director for hire.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children tells the story of Jacob (Asa Butterfield), who upon finding his grandfather Abe (Terrence Stamp) dying after a mysterious attack which removed his eyes, embarks upon a journey to Wales to seek out the care home Abe stayed in during World War 2. Upon arrival he discovers a mansion stuck in a time loop and a wealth of characters with extraordinary abilities.
As with most reviews I write I don’t want to give too much away, but it is a fascinating story which engrossed me and luckily the first trailer didn’t give too much away. It borrows a lot of elements from various stories and there are plenty of fair comparisons to Harry Potter and X Men throughout.
Burton’s vision is well suited to this story with his trademark flair for spooky forests, gothic houses and costumes mixed with ghoulish abnormality and even some stop-motion for good measure, but it is a lot lighter and colourful than most of his films in look and tone. Thankfully the blue filter of Sweeney Todd is gone and as such the films pallet is rich and the 3D works remarkable well.
But make no mistake, this is not a film for young children or the squeamish. It has rightly been rated a 12A and a few families left at certain points during the screening due to distraught children. But some children in the audience relished in delight at certain gruesome moments, while some of the parents were more shocked and grossed out than the kids.
Plot wise we have familiar beats and at points it verges on oversentimentality, but is heartfelt and joyously twisted throughout. Even the carnage witnessed towards the ending is presented in a light-hearted way. But there were a few things that I wish were expanded on and explained, as a few key plot moments felt rushed, but that being said it did feel like a long movie and the ending felt a bit drawn out.
However, the film is full of rich characters, the cast are suited for the roles and everyone looks like they had fun working on the movie. The titular Miss Peregrine is played meticulously by the great Eva Green, although I was initially put off as her introduction is full of stares and teeth reminiscent of Jonny Depp’s Willy Wonka. But Tim Burton has always been attracted to strange brunettes and it appears he has found his new Helena Bonham Carter.
But more importantly to a film like this is the fact that all of the children are well cast and believable. Asa Butterfield continues his journey from child actor to leading man and carries the film well as it’s protagonist Jacob, wanting to do something with his life and then challenged when he gets the opportunity. Ella Purnell plays Emma Bloom, who is more than Jacob’s potential love interest and is another strong character whose power is as much of a strength as it is a liability.
As well as the rest of the peculiar children we get a host of supporting characters including Chris O’Dowd (complete with a convincing American accent), Dame Judi Dench and Samuel L. Jackson, who is fun as the films main villain. I don’t want to spoil too much, but he has a silly grey hairstyle just like in Jumper (2008), and is also hunting down those with special abilities, just like in Jumper.
Most of this film’s joy and charm comes from the source material by Ransom Riggs, which has been translated well by Jane Goldman, continuing a successful streak following the screenplays for excellent films such as Stardust (2007), Kick-Ass (2008) and Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014). But that being said a lot of characters aren’t fleshed out and it seems that a lot of plot beats are missing, resulting in a wealth of moments that don’t make much sense. I can forgive this as being a fantasy film and the fact that it’s always hard to squeeze an entire book into one movie.
Part of me hopes this doesn’t become a franchise as it has a solid ending which wraps up a lot of the characters arcs, but upon investigation there are currently two further books in the series. However, if each of those books is translated well to screen then I won’t have anything to worry about, but please bring on another director who would add their unique and surreal vision to the story. Yes, Guillermo del Toro, I mean you.
Overall Verdict: This is Tim Burton’s best film in almost a decade, full of his auteurs’ trademarks (including himself), lots of laughs and memorable characters. It’s not as magical as his earlier work, but is a fun and enjoyable fantasy none the less.
Reviewer: George Elcombe
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