Grade: B-
Rating: PG-13, 127 minutes
In a Nutshell: This is a Tim Burton movie, so you know
it’s going to have some weird and creepy images, even if it’s considered a
child’s movie. The film was adapted from
Ransom Rigg’s best-selling novel, which was part of a popular trilogy. So, does that mean we’re going to see two more
of these films? Um…have you heard of
money?
Uplifting theme:
- “It’s
time to learn what you can do.” – Miss Peregrine
- “We
don’t need you to make us feel safe, because you made us feel brave, and
that’s even better.” – Emma
- Aging,
family, life, love, sacrifice for others
Things I liked:
- Good
special effects. The film cost
$110 million to make. Worldwide, it
earned $65 million during its opening weekend.
- Great
production value.
- If you
like time loop movies that go back and forth in time, you’ll like this,
although it doesn’t make much sense in the end, so don’t overthink it.
- Jake
explains that his grandfather talked about a lake in Puerto Rico that
glows in the dark. I’ve been
there! It’s awesome! It’s called Bahia Fosforescente.
- Great
casting. Eva Green is perfect for a
Tim Burton film because she’s already so quirky and mysterious. Her low voice sounded like she had
smoked 3 packs of cigarettes a day though…or in the case of this movie,
pipes.
- It was
hilarious to hear those two young Welsh boys rap with their thick accents.
- One of
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s books is featured.
Go Ralph! By doing a search
on FamilySearch.org, I learned I’m related to that iconic American writer.
- I’m
many years away from being a grandmother, but I would hope that I could
have the loving, loyal relationship with my grandchildren that Abe has
with Jake.
- The adult
actors you’ll recognize are Eva Green, Allison Janney (I love her), Rupert
Everett, Terence Stamp, Judi Dench, and Samuel L. Jackson.
- Asa
Butterfield does a great job convincing us he’s an awkward teen, loyal
grandson, and heroic boyfriend.
Unfortunately, he spends the majority of the movie just asking
questions.
- Some
of the peculiar children were downright adorable like Raffiella Chapman
(Claire), Pixie Davies (Bronwyn), and Hayden Keeler-Stone (Horace). Ella Purnell (Emma) really looked like
she belonged in the 1940’s.
- As a
twin myself, I was curious about the twin peculiars (played by Joseph and
Thomas Odwell.) Why were they
covered up? What was their
peculiarity? I laughed out loud
when the audience finally learns those answers towards the end of the
movie.
- It kind of feels like an X-Men mutant school for children.
Things I didn’t like:
- Samuel
L. Jackson is completely transformed into a new character by simply giving
him creepy eyes. By the way, he has
openly declared that he will move out of the United States if Donald Trump
wins the presidency. He has the
only funny lines in the movie, but in some scenes it feels like he’s
straining to act.
- It
always bugs me in movies when the children have a huge secret and don’t
tell their parents. Personally, I
always want to be a part of my children’s lives and help them with their
challenges. I’m sure there are a
lot of things they don’t tell me, but at least I’m trying! Chris O’Dowd
plays a father who is out of touch with his son.
- We don’t
learn any backstory about the “peculiars.”
They are all very one-dimensional characters in this narrative. I would have liked to learn more about
them. Maybe in the next two
instalments of this trilogy we’ll learn more? (I haven’t read the books.)
- The
plot has some holes that will start to really bug you.
Interesting lines:
- “My
dad said everything had already been discovered.” – Jake
Not everything, Jake.” – Miss
Peregrine
Funny lines:
- “You’ve
missed me again, Jake. I take it
accuracy is not your peculiarity!” – Barron (Samuel Jackson)
- Super
shirt!” – Horace (Kayden Keeler-Stone)
- “Some
of his dreams are prophetic. Mostly
they’re about clothes.” – Emma (Ella Purnell)
- “Oooh,
you must put me in contact with your tailor.” – Barron
- Eventually,
you’re going to run out of breath and it’ll all be over…death for your
beloved Jake and Miss Peregrine, and everlasting life for me…ew… and a
mint for you!” – Barron
Tips for
parents:
- Like
all Tim Burton movies, this fantasy film has a lot of scary images and
concepts, so I definitely wouldn’t recommend this for young children. If it's still in theaters during Halloween, tweens will get a kick out of it as part of their spooky weekend.
- There
are some scary monsters called ‘Hollows” that eat humans’ eyeballs. There are a lot of scary images of dead
adults and children with their eyeballs plucked out, as well as scenes of
monsters eating them.
- There
are quite a few skeletons, sometimes sitting around, other times fighting.
- Creepy
doll puppets have a battle and one gets stabbed to death.
- SPOILER
ALERT: Kids will love the end when the children outwit the adults.
