Movie Review - Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

IF YOU ever wanted wondered what would happen if the Harry Potter and the X-Men universes collided, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children would probably be your best bet.
The movie is based on the best-selling 2011 novel by Ransom Riggs, and it is set in a world where certain humans, known as Peculiars, have extraordinary powers like controlling time, super strength, making inanimate objects come to life and setting things on fire with just a touch.
To keep these Peculiars safe from the “normal” world and also dreaded Hollowgasts, special homes have been set up in time loops by individuals like Alma LeFay Peregrine (Eva Green).
But while Miss Peregrine and her brood of Peculiars do play pivotal roles in the story, it is essentially about Jake Portman (Asa Butterfield) who discovers that he has more in common with the Peculiars than with other kids, after his grandfather is murdered.
The movie starts off a little slow but gets quite interesting, especially when Jake heads to Wales to look for Miss Peregrine’s Home. It is during these scenes where we get a better look at the colourful world of the Peculiars and their powers.
The action also starts picking up closer to the end but when I say action, don’t expect action scenes like the ones you’ll find in superhero movies. The action you get here is more kid-friendly and family oriented. There are still quite a few very tense moments, though.
While the cast is made up of young actors, most of them do well in bringing their characters to life. Of course, the main focus is on Butterfield’s Jake and his love interest Emma Bloom (Ella Purnell), but the rest of the Peculiar children do get a fair amount of screen time for a little character development.
The young cast is of course aided by the likes of veterans such as Green, Judi Dench and Samuel L. Jackson.
Green is splendid as Peregrine as she pulls off the caring, yet strict maternal role well. Jackson as Barron the big bad is just brilliant, as he shows a more cartoonish side to him and yet is able to still come across as menacing.
Overall, I was quite surprised with how much I enjoyed the movie and I think fans of the books and those who love movies in this genre will definitely enjoy how Tim Burton has brought this beloved series to life.
Watch the trailer here :