After witnessing the horrible death of his "dementia"-stricken grandfather, with no one believing what really happened and everyone assuming that he has "mental health issues," Jacob Portman finds himself back in 1943 at Miss Peregrine's home on Cairnholm, an island off the coast of Wales, immediately after his grandfather left the wartime safe-house to join the British Army. Miss Peregrine's home is for "peculiar" children, and Jacob's company there includes weightless and aerokinetic Emma, with whom he quickly falls in love, pyrokinetic Olive, invisible Millard, and several others. The gothically beautiful Miss Peregrine is an "ymbryne" who can turn into a bird and manipulate time. *Note: Some of the names, ages, and abilities from the book have been changed or reversed, and for the sake of simplicity, there are fewer children.* There, Jacob discovers his own "peculiar" abilities and the important mission that awaits him.
The first two-thirds of this film (from the director of "Edward Scissorhands" and "Corpse Bride") more than justify sitting through all of it. In terms of sheer originality, "Miss Peregrine's Home" rivals the Harry Potter series, the Oz stories, and all but the very best of Disney. That being said, it probably isn't for really young children: Some disturbing monsters and death imagery, along with a fairly complex plot. No serious gore though: Most "tweeners" or older can most likely handle it. There are a number of truly beautiful moments along with some keen nuances regarding who's really crazy, what's really real, the fine differences between people, and the unique strengths and weaknesses that make up every individual. MPHPC is expertly filmed, with some breathtaking visuals of Cairnholm, and the acting by most of the major players is equally great, with special kudos going to Eva Green as Miss Peregrine, Finlay MacMillan as Enoch, and Ella Purnell as Emma.
Unfortunately, things start to derail toward the end, degenerating into some of the worst action-horror clichés at the climax. The ending's very pretty but is so hurried that it's a little hard to make sense of. It seems that MPHPC's makers couldn't quite pack the essential story-line of Ransom Riggs's novel into two hours, a common problem (i.e., pacing) in so much of today's filmmaking. I would have welcomed another 30-60 minutes of this, but oh well. Seeing this film made me all-the-more eager to read the book.
The first two-thirds of this film (from the director of "Edward Scissorhands" and "Corpse Bride") more than justify sitting through all of it. In terms of sheer originality, "Miss Peregrine's Home" rivals the Harry Potter series, the Oz stories, and all but the very best of Disney. That being said, it probably isn't for really young children: Some disturbing monsters and death imagery, along with a fairly complex plot. No serious gore though: Most "tweeners" or older can most likely handle it. There are a number of truly beautiful moments along with some keen nuances regarding who's really crazy, what's really real, the fine differences between people, and the unique strengths and weaknesses that make up every individual. MPHPC is expertly filmed, with some breathtaking visuals of Cairnholm, and the acting by most of the major players is equally great, with special kudos going to Eva Green as Miss Peregrine, Finlay MacMillan as Enoch, and Ella Purnell as Emma.
Unfortunately, things start to derail toward the end, degenerating into some of the worst action-horror clichés at the climax. The ending's very pretty but is so hurried that it's a little hard to make sense of. It seems that MPHPC's makers couldn't quite pack the essential story-line of Ransom Riggs's novel into two hours, a common problem (i.e., pacing) in so much of today's filmmaking. I would have welcomed another 30-60 minutes of this, but oh well. Seeing this film made me all-the-more eager to read the book.