Why Books are Usually Better Than Movies.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children has become a well-known name in pop culture. This thriller/ adventure of Jacob Portman and his peculiar friends that he encounters takes place in both 2016 and 1940. This Tim Burton production starring Asa Butterfield as Jacob Portman, Ella Purnell as Emma Bloom, and Eva Green as Miss Peregrine had brought excitement to the movie theaters.

Jacob Portman's adventure begins with the unusual death of his grandfather. To find answers about his death, Jacob travels to a remote island in Wales. His grandfather used to tell stories about Miss Peregrine, a ymbryne, who takes care of these peculiar children and went searching for this home in Wales. The world of peculiar children that was filled with fun, friends, and safety were soon destroyed by evil wrights. Now Jacob and his friends must save their world from a terrible fate.

Tim Burton did very well to visually appeal to the audience. When Jacob Portman arrives to the home for peculiar children, you see a sudden pop of color and positivity on the screen. It was almost magical. Compared to other Tim Burton films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, it showed wonder, craziness, and fun. The special effects seemed very life-like and were done really impressively well.

However, one negative was that the editing of the movie was moving fast. One minute Jacob would be at work and then two seconds later he would be at his grandfather's home. I would have liked to see some explanation on what was happening just because it could be confusing to the audience members who haven't read the book. Overall, the editing of the movie was well done. Furthermore, the costume design in the film was superb. The clothing fit with the characters personalities and the time period of 1940. There is a massive difference between Jacob's modern 2016 style and the vintage style of 1940.

As some may know, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is based off a novel by Ransom Riggs. The film was not entirely true to the book and includes several distinct differences. These peculiar children have powers and in the film they switched Emma and Olive's powers which was upsetting since its drastically different than the book. It worked out alright for the film because it was written and directed differently than the novel. Some things that took place in the movie were not written in the book. For example, in the film you see these kids fighting for their lives, but if you read the series, this scene in the film was actually written in the 3rd novel in the series, Library Souls.

My overall reaction of the movie is that it was really well done and a good movie, however it could have been better. Since I read the novel first, I was walking into the film with higher expectations. The quality of the movie was really outstanding but I would have enjoyed myself more if I didn't nitpick every detail.

I recommend reading either reading the book or watching the movie, not both. IF you find yourself wanting to do both then I suggest , the one and only time, to watch the movie first so you won't be disappointed. The movie and book are different for the most part, so nothing will be completely ruined. I would rate the movie 3/5 stars.

I highly recommend reading the whole series. It consists of 5 books:

1. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

2. Hollow City

3. Library of Souls

4. Map of Days

5. The Conference of the Birds

All have been filled with adventure and creativity and it's a great story to invest in!

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