Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children [DVD] [2016]

Excellent DVD fantastic Quality would recommend.

There will be two classes of viewers of this DVD – those who have already read the ( three) books ( who may be disappointed – or thrilled by the adaptation and Tim Burton’s view) and those who see it for the first time. Books are designed to make you use your imagination at your own pace , films spoon feed you a story and can these days rely heavily on special CGI effects – and which may , or may not , use the original story / characters in their original form. The books do give more background however, which often puts the characters and their actions into context betterI had read all three books so what did the DVD do for me? ( I will have to throw in some spoilers to make sense).Jake is a somewhat insular and awkward teenager who has related better to his grandfather than his father. His Grandfather has told him tales of a school he attended as a youngster and also monsters which initially Jake believed implicitly then tended to abandon as he was made fun of at school.He is working in a hardware store stacking products when a call comes that his Grandfather has problems . He arrives to find the house ransacked and his Grandfather dying outside. He nearly sees the killer .As he lays dying his Grandfather whispers instructions which leads him on an odyssey to a small Welsh Island to find the school with his father in tow as a birdwatcher.At an old bombed out chateau on the island he spots a girl in the ruins who leads him into a time loop locked at 3rd September 1943 (when the chateau was bombed in an air raid) and onto the school of Miss Peregrine ( the pristine chateau) where children with peculiar skills ( aka like X men) are looked after The school is also under siege from corrupted “Peculiars” intent on devilish experiments using the children and these female Guardians of the time loops ( Ground Hogs day with flexibility).The story evolves as Peculiars ( good) battling Peculiars ( evil) .Jake discovers his peculiarity is to see the invisible monsters . There are some characteristic Burton added horrors of the eating of eyes ( not in the books) and the skills of all Peculiars come into play to defeat the head of the baddies ( Barron – Samuel L Jackson in superb Baron Samedi / shape shifting mode) getting his come uppance in Blackpool Tower ( not with a different villain London as in the books) . Takes ca 1h to really get into full action. In the end it resolves as a love story with Jake getting his Grandfather’s old girlfriend Emma. Good for those who like horror and particularly Tim Burton films.Worth seeing if you have read the 3 books but do read them if you haven’t for a different perspective of the same overall story

Thoroughly enjoyed it, saw bits I hadn't remembered 👍

Director Tim Burton brings us a film adaptation of the novel by Ransom Riggs, all about a young man who discovers a strange home for very strange children.Those who have read the book will have different reactions to the film. As it has changed a few things about the characters and has an extended and different ending. So it's best to think of it as being a companion to it rather than a straight adaptation. But in the extras on here Ransom Riggs does say the changes make it work as a film, and are very smart and he wishes he'd thought of them. So he's not bothered, then you shouldn't be either.For those who haven't read the book: it was inspired by strange old photos that the writer collects. Having come across some of strange looking children, he came up with the idea to build a story around them. Story is about 16 year old Jake [Asa Butterfield] who, via his grandfathers stories and strange photos, discovers Miss Peregrine's home. On an island off Wales, it is a refuge for unique children with special abilities. It's a place suspended in time. Literally. Because there are dangerous beings that would like to get their hands on them....This takes a while to get going as it has a lot of exposition and set up to do. But what this is rather smartly doing through all these sections is showing us the normal world, so it can then be contrasted with the fantastical when we get to it. And that is worth the wait. The home is pure Tim Burton, with excellent visuals and striking characters and sights. Eva Green commands the attention as Miss Peregrine, but it works well keeping her as a supporting character rather than one of the main driving forces in the story.There are a couple of main metaphors here, which you will get easily enough and they work fine.There are also some very complicated time travel ideas here. With these, it's best to follow the advice of Basil Exposition from the second Austin Powers film, and just try not to worry about any of that.Threat, as mentioned, exists, and does in due course appear. With a somewhat overfamiliar performance from Samuel J Jackson. But all this drives the final third of the film along through some good set pieces to a decent finale. This as mentioned is a third of the film that goes a bit away from the book, but as a film it works. Although like many films that do a final third like this, it's a bit overlong.But it has great moments, one good cameo, and a very nice final shot.The film is perhaps a bit too dark and disturbing and overlong for the very young, but all in all it's a good achievement, and worth four stars.The disc has the following language and subtitle options:Languages: English, Castilian Spanish, Italian.Subtitles: English, Castilian Spanish, Italian, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish.The box does say it's English only for the above, but I have checked the disc and can confirm what I have written.The disc begins with an anti piracy ad, which you can skip via the next button on the remote.Extras:A peculiar story: a twelve minute long look at the making of the film and the genesis of the project.Map of days: two eight minute features, which can be watched individually or in a row. Both run for eight minutes. First is Miss Peregrine's home. Second is Blackpool Tower. Both look at two key locations and how they were created for the screen.These features are all very good, being just the right length to have enough detail to tell you things rather than be the usual promotional stuff.'Wish you were here' Florence and the Machine music video. A video for a song from the film, which actually acts like a trailer for it. As one of those it's good.Then there's two galleries. These are good as well. Instead of the usual stills of the production, you get one that shows photos from the book and their recreations for the film. And another with character sketches from Tim Burton himself.

What an outstanding fantasy film. It has that quintessential Burton mix of sadness, romance and playful black humour that he hasn't nailed in a while. The time travel works a lot better than I expected; it really touches on that poignant loneliness/isolation at the heart of Burton's most notable freaks and outsiders. Eva Green is perfection as Miss Peregrine. Sam Jackson is a very fun villain, while the monsters are a sort of cross between The Babadook and Jack Skellington (ie. not for young kids). Several sequences almost had me cheering, particularly the ones involving the sunken ship. As a film, it doesn't all work--the plot gets a little too twisty toward the end, and there are probably too many "peculiars" involved--but when it does work, it's gorgeous.The 3-D definitely helps bring it all to life. It isn't one of the strongest 3-D blu-rays out there (not as consistently impressive as Star Wars: TFA or Mad Max: Fury Road), but there's plenty to like here. The scene where time stops and the raindrops float outside the screen is nicely done. The Blackpool Pier sequence is a riot, with CG monsters galore. Several times throughout the film I grinned at the blend of 3-D depth and visual design. It's a treat for the eyes. Don't expect copious pop-outs a la Ghostbusters, but the 3D is immersive--for this Burton fan, that's a huge bonus.Really glad I own this. It's one I'll revisit often.