Burton back to his best
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (M, 126 mins) Directed by Tim Burton
Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland, Ransom Riggs’ fantastical tale of time loops, mysterious islands and peculiar children seems a perfect fit for the gothic sensibilities and love of eccentricity of Tim Burton.
Even better, this time around he’s not weighed down by the weight of expectation and the cinematic ghosts of what has gone before. Sure there will be inevitable comparisons to those wizarding inhabitants of Scotland’s Hogwarts and the list of wannabe Potter- esque franchises that haven’t got past the first hurdle is lengthy ( Lemony Snicket, The Golden Compass, Cirque du Freak, Vampire Academy), but Burton and screenwriter Jane Goldman ( Stardust) have expertly combined to create a world and story intriguing and engrossing enough to warrant a return journey.
At its heart, Miss Peregrine is the story of young Floridian Jake Portman (Asa Butterfield). Fascinated and then frightened by his grandfather’s (Terence Stamp) tales of strongman siblings, pipesmoking headmistresses and monsters galore, he’s just coming to terms with the banality of reality when his grandfather is killed in mysterious circumstances. Persuaded by his therapist that a visit to the Welsh island of his bedtime stories might be beneficial ‘‘for closure’’, Jake heads off, accompanied by his reluctant father (Chris O’Dowd).
But rather than find boys made of bees or girls lighter than air, Jake discovers the inhabitants are for more earthy and the famed ‘‘home’’ a burnt out shell, destroyed by a German air raid in World War II.
Naturally though, things are not what they first appear.
Boasting a terrific cast that also includes the luminous Eva Green ( Casino Royale) in the title role, Samuel L Jackson, Rupert Everett and Allison Janney, Miss Peregrine is a breathless, rollercoaster ride of an action adventure that makes full use of today’s special effects wizardry and the costuming genius of Colleen Atwood. Burton delivers the requisite smoke, shadow and spooky goings on with appropriate aplomb.
Be warned though, there is some genuinely frightening imagery on display, from Frankentoys to faceless horrors.
It is also not exactly original. At times, it feels like a Doctor Who adventure, with its Blackpool climax and time-travelling conceit, or a Guillermo Del Toro horror. Other viewers will see echoes of X-Men, Groundhog Day, Ladyhawke, Toy Story and even the 1980s Biggles movie, as the story progresses.
And perhaps it owes its biggest debt to Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits, with its friendless hero, evil nemesis and time-hopping antics. However, none of those boasted Dame Judi Dench wielding a crossbow. – James Croot