Jake doesn’t know it yet, but he has special powers.  He only has one power, he’s not courageous, not strong, not fast, he can’t fly, his power is very simple, but his power will save all the children.  One night his grandfather calls him, in a panic, struggling to find the key to his gun chest, asking Jake where it is, then telling Jake to stay away.  Jake doesn’t listen, and rushes over to help his grandpa get over his anxiety, only making it there in time to witness his last breathes and instructions to find Miss Peregrine.

The film, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is directed by Tim Burton and stars, Eva Green, Asa Butterfield and Samuel Jackson.  With a production budget of $110 million, the film was shot with an Arri Alexa in Florida, Belgium and in England by Twentieth Century Fox.  The film is about People that are different, with special powers that are being attacked by their own kind and create time loops to hide and protect themselves.

The film was adapted to a screenplay by Jane Goldman from the novel written by Ransom Riggs.

These days, I’ve been trying to read the novel, then watch the film.  It’s a lot of fun, especially because my critiques of the film become more intense.  I know more about the story and I can see how well the director has adapted to the screen.  Did he get the story across? Do I understand who the characters are?

Jake (Asa Butterfield) is a teenage boy, a nerd, outcast, social misfit, working in his aunt’s grocery store, just wanting to be normal.  So the book and the movie do have some differences from the get go.  I much prefer the books take, because it added so much to the story.  So I’ll focus more on the movie review to give you a frame of mind where I’m coming from.  Jake witnesses the death of his grandfather, which is what propels the story forward and reveals to us that there is something different about  Jake.  And, it’s not so much the death of his grandfather that messes with his mind, it’s the fact that what he saw with his own eyes, can’t be explained and when he tries, everyone tries to convince him that what he saw was more a result of his stress and the situation, than anything else.  So, with the help of his psychologist, he is able to work out his issues by going on a trip to find out more about his grandfather and all the stories he would tell him as a little kid about the school for children with special powers.

Tim Burton is known for his special effects in movies like Frankenweenie, Dark Shadows, Alice in Wonderland, Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Planet of the Apes and this movie does not disappoint.  The monsters, called hallowgast’s, look amazing, and the use of time travel, the children with special powers all took you to another level

Having read the book, then watched the film, I was a bit disappointed, but what surprised me is that the group I went with, HCC MovieMakers Club, they all loved the film.  I do think this film is geared more towards teenagers maybe 14 – 15 years of age, but is a good film to take the family.  The film is entertaining, Asa is an up and coming actor with a long list of films that he is coming out with, so he does make it a popular choice for the younger crowd.  Catch it while it’s still in theaters.

Watch our Review on the film: