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           Miss Peregrine’s

Home For Peculiar Children                   review by Bobby Blakey

Despite his ups and downs I have always been a huge fan of Tim Burton’s films. Even those that didn’t do all that great at the box office I always found something about them I liked. His latest Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children looks like a story right up his alley and features a great cast including  Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Judi Dench, Rupert Everett, Allison Janney, Chris O’Dowd, and Terence Stamp, but is it a return to form or will it be just too peculiar?

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Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children follows a young boy named Jacob who discovers clues to a mystery that spans different worlds and times, and a magical place known as Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. But the mystery and danger deepen as he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers... and their powerful enemies. Ultimately, Jacob discovers that only his own special "peculiarity" can save his new friends. Going into this film I had high hopes that it would capture what I always loved about Burton’s films and I am glad to say I was not disappointed. The story is just complex enough to be compelling without getting overly complicated. This film reminds me of back when Disney made films like Race to Witch Mountain (the original) that were films for kids and families, but they weren’t afraid to scare them. This isn’t a scary movie, but offers up some creepy imagery and intense moments.

 

These intense moments won’t seem like much to the adult crowd I am sure, but looking at its audience of the younger demographic it could. With these moments and the interesting children that inhabit the home makes for a unique and interesting world to walk through. Sure there is some predictable moments here and at times feels like it is going to fall into a clichéd direction, but it thankfully never does. Burton has used his unique style and vision to bring a great film to life that while is fresh and new still feels familiar. I loved the visuals here and the use of different time periods in the story that makes it feel so much bigger than it might have otherwise. The threat to the school and those around them feels real on multiple levels. There are moments that make you think about the threats that are during that time that are not supernatural as well as the bigger more fantastical threats. In the end it all worked for me in a way I wasn’t expecting offering up a world that I would love to be able to revisit.

 

This story and world was tailor made for Burton and he did a great job bringing it to life. The visuals are great and are a treat to the senses throughout the film. If you loved the old Disney style films I mentioned previously then give this one a try. In addition to the film this release includes a gallery, a music video and numerous featurettes that take you further behind this peculiar children’s home.

 

Grab your copy of Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children available now on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

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