Mrs. Peregrine’s Children Live Up to their Peculiarity
Based on the book by Ransom Riggs, ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ proved to be nothing less than intriguing with unique characters and gripping conflicts throughout the story.
Despite being gruesomely murdered by a giant slenderman-type being called a hollow, Jake’s grandfather (Terence Stamp) still manages to inform Jake (Asa Butterfield) that he must flee to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, where children with unique abilities are secluded from society. He also entrusts Jake with the mission to save the children from these hollows. Although it seemed impossible, Jake follows through with his late grandfather’s orders. Once he arrives, he is introduced to children with unimaginable abilities, one in particular named Emma (Ella Purnell) with whom he develops a special relationship. Literally lighter than air, Emma has an edgy personality with innocent inner spirit. On their mission to stop the creatures who took Jake’s grandfather’s and other peculiar children’s lives, Jake discovers his own ability to see the otherwise invisible hollows.
As Jake, Butterfield seemed to fit the role naturally, as if his character was his everyday self. His heroism was revealed as his character lead the children to battle the impossible, giving viewers hope and inspiration that even if you’re different from everybody else and smaller than those around you, you can do anything.
Along with interesting characters also came creative plot details such as the “loop” in which time is reset everyday during World War II when Miss Peregrine’s home gets repeatedly demolished by a missile plummeting from the sky. This “loop” is significant because without it, there would be no way to access Mrs. Peregrine’s home or the past, and the world outside would otherwise stay in the present. Pretty peculiar, right?
The diverse settings contribute to the eerie mood displayed throughout the film. At first, the journey begins in sunny Florida, but soon the story takes the viewers to distant Wales. Once Jake and his father (Chris O’Dowd) arrive there, gloomy and mysterious fog hugs the ground. From this, the audience gets the premonition that things are about to take an interesting turn.
Overall, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is many types of movies in one: romance, mystery, thriller, horror, and action. With the unique plot, characters, conflicts, and settings, the film was far from a failure. Tim Burton successfully continues his theme of keeping things peculiar.
