Review of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016) by Johnny T — 05 Dec 2016

Tim Burton is a wizard of odd. The best of his films take us into a world where anything is possible ... but the impossible is even better. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children proves a suitable match for Tim Burton's distinctive style, even if it's on stronger footing as a visual experience than a narrative one. Burton's manner is changed, not drastically or consistently but more controlled, making strangeness the story's accessory rather than its purpose. He seems inspired by this material for the first time in years, in a creative vein where he finds the most satisfaction. The film chooses style over substance, emphasizing how cool the children's powers are without fleshing them out as full characters. To compete with Burton's best, his heroic weirdos need a little more heart-and the monsters need sharper teeth. Butterfield is dimmed by such bright lights in the cast around him. Some CGI-heavy scenes in the finale are wearisome but the madcap register of calmer moments makes for enchanting fun. The film only leaves you with a few great moments, but they're hard to cling to when surrounded by a story that lacks the proper substance. The time-travel element gets awfully twisty, perhaps a little too much so. But there's great pleasure to be had in the performances, particularly Green's deliciously avian Miss Peregrine.

VERDICT: "In The Zone" - [Mixed Reaction] These kinds of movies are usually movies that had some good things, but some bad things kept it from being amazing. This rating says buy an ex-rental or a cheap price of the DVD to own. If you consider cinema, ask for people's opinion on the film. (Films that are rated 2.5 or 3 stars).