by Lydia Velazquez ’17

Though potentially intriguing, book-to-movie adaptations have a tendency to miss the mark when visually recreating the story. A most recent example of this is “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” based off the novel by Ransom Riggs.

This fantasy/adventure movie follows Jake, portrayed by Asa Butterfield, a teenager and socially awkward outcast living in Florida, as he copes with his supposedly schizophrenic grandfather’s mysterious death.

The beginning of the film is a tad generic, with its “teen outsider” lead character, but the paranormal aspects, such as time travel and an orphanage for children with “peculiarities” (abnormal powers) that begin to emerge draw the audience in. These unconventional aspects are done in a fairly unique way, and their presence makes the movie comparable to films such as “The Spiderwick Chronicles” and “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” that also combine the concepts of fantasy and coming-of-age.

These eerie attributes are also what makes the rendering of a book-to-movie adaptation an almost obvious fit for Tim Burton, who is known for directing unconventional films. Burton’s style can be seen throughout the work, from the ambience of the set to the set to the uncommon look of the actors, most of them having very defined facial structures and features. However, it is this “fit” that also typecasts Burton’s style, making “Miss Peregrine’s” not particularly special in comparison to his other films.

Overall, the film is aesthetically pleasing and quirky, with dark tones, gaunty characters and offbeat dialogue, yet it lacks essential core values of a “good movie,” such as fluidity in the plot structure and the ability to fully immerse the audience.

GRADE:
B-