Jake (Asa Butterfield) is an outcast teenager that adores his grandfather Abraham 'Abe' Portman (Terence Stamp) that used to tell stories of the orphanage in Wales where he was raised to him. When Abe is murdered in his house in Florida and has his eyes removes, Jake sees a monster and his parents take him to a psychologist. Jake asks to go to Wales to visit the orphanage and his psychologist agrees. His father Franklin Portman (Chris O'Dowd) travels with him to Wales and Jake discovers that the orphanage was bombed in 1943 by the Germans. When he decides to visit the ruins of the orphanage again, Abe finds a girl and soon he learns that the orphanage, the headmaster Miss Peregrine (Eva Green) and the children still exist trapped in a time loop. But they are in danger since monsters are hunting them down. And Jake has the gift of seeing monsters. What will Jake do?

"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" is a delightful original adventure directed by Tim Burton. The fantasy is a sort of X-Men and is highly entertaining with lovely characters and evil villains. Despite the confused idea of time loops, the film entertains adults and children. My vote is eight.

Title (Brzil):"O Orfanato da Srta. Peregrine Para Crianças Peculiares" ("The Orphanage of Miss Peregrine for Peculiar Children")

'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children' is not one of Tim Burton's best films, with 'Edward Scissorhands' and 'Ed Wood' being two of my all-time favourite films, and still get much enjoyment out of 'Beetlejuice', 'Sleepy Hollow' and his 'Batman' films.

It is however one of his better films since 'Big Fish' along with 'Frankenweenie' and 'Sweeney Todd'. Much better than 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Dark Shadows' (as well as his worst film 'Planet of the Apes') at any rate. As an adaptation of the book, which is excellent by the way, 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children' is not a good adaptation, in fact as said it is a poor one, but as none of Burton's source-material-to-film adaptations are faithful treatments of their source material this was to be expected.

On the other hand, 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children' has a lot to recommend on its own terms, which is in all honesty a much fairer way to judge. It is patchy yes, but it to me was often very enjoyable and got the feeling that Burton is regaining his touch. Starting with the problems, some of the first half, while setting the scene and the context of the story very well, did feel jumpy and rushed and things are left a bit too vague and hanging out in the open without explanation. The editing, again in the first half, felt on the disorganised side.

Asa Butterfield has been criticised. Personal feelings were mixed regarding his performance, he looks the part but has a tendency to be stiff and not as emotionally involved as he should be. This said, this was always going to be a potential problem due to how the character is written, with much of his dialogue being internalised. Judi Dench and Chris O'Dowd (who should not have attempted the accent because it did not suit him at all) are squandered in their roles.

Conversely, 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children' looks fantastic, with lots of sheer beauty and a Gothic touch (unmistakable Burton visual style really). The special effects are also very good, especially in the climax like the 'Jason and the Argonauts'-like skeletons, while the film is exquisitely photographed. The music is fitting, with a moody gloom but also pathos, but no themes that stand out as unforgettable (like much of Danny Elfman's score for 'Edward Scissorhands' or Howard Shore's opening theme for 'Ed Wood').

The script is playful yet sincere, exploring death and grief sensitively but with a darkness without being traumatising. Sure, some of the film is spooky but not in a way that will make parents outrage about unsuitability for their children (a very old IMDb and internet cliché that has become overused and extremely irritating). While there are problems with the story in the first half, the second half is deliciously dark, forebodingly gloomy, impishly humorous and poignant. There are memorable scenes here, such as the bombing, the chemistry between the two young characters and especially the thrilling climax.

Burton's style is unmistakable in its Gothic darkness, impish humour and in-your-face weirdness but not in a way that distracts from the storytelling, instead adding to it (unlike a few of his films in recent years),with an otherworldly atmosphere and spine-tingling thrills. Not all the performances completely work, but most of the cast come off very well. Top honours goes to a fabulous Eva Green, and Terence Stamp is always great value and sterling support. Ella Purnell is very affecting too, while Samuel L. Jackson is campy fun as the antagonist (not a necessary character necessarily but a comedic touch here and there did bring some levity to the predominant darkness and emotional wallop).

On the whole, patchy but very enjoyable taking it on its own merits. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Tim Burton's latest is another family-friendly gothic adventure full of CGI effects and a tiresome plot involving stereotypical villains and their monster minions with murder in mind. It's based on a novel which appears to go out of its way to copy bits and pieces of HARRY POTTER, X-MEN and the like to tell of a children's home occupied by kids with mutant powers. Jane Goldman did the script, and critics might feel she's working on autopilot here.

This is a watchable film with plenty of visual flourishes, but it does feel like Burton is trading on past glories. Established actors like Rupert Everett, Eva Green and Judi Dench are all given very little to do in order to make way for the CGI spectacle. The effects are generally good, although there's very little we haven't seen before. The JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS-inspired set-piece is my favourite moment. Asa Butterfield's hero is as weak and vapid as the actor was in HUGO, with Ella Purnell stealing all of her scenes in a sensitive performance, even if Burton has made her up to look like Christina Ricci in SLEEPY HOLLOW for some reason.