MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

(2016) Another case of "got the book, but saw the film first," Miss Peregrine's starts off with Florida teen Jake (Asa Butterfield) rushing to the home of his grandfather Abe (Terence Stamp), who suffers from dementia and claims to be under attack in his home.  Arriving in time only to find his grandfather in the woods out behind the house, eyes missing and a cryptic whisper his only goodbye before dying, after a period of mourning Jake's therapist advises a trip to Wales - the sight of many of Abe's wild, lifelong stories that have affected Jake as a teen - and instead of finding peace in the fact his grandfather was simply a mentally-ill old man, Jake discovers an alternate world where the beautiful, shape-shifting Miss Peregrine (the oh-SO-consistently-underrated Eva Green) cares for and protects a houseful of children with very different talents or oddities, in a world where time is frozen to the span of one day ... and enemies who are out to get the children are each day growing closer.  With Tim Burton directing the film is both charmingly quirky and super-gorgeous to look at, the various abilities of the kids showcased beautifully with a talented young cast (this is, perhaps, also the 3,899th film Samuel L.Jackson has been in lately) - but Asa Butterfield has always left me cold on-screen, I've never found him particularly believable or likable an actor, and to me his presence here is the one "chilly" element of the entire film.  There is a lot going for Miss Peregrine and her kids, I just wish it - like Jake - had engaged me emotionally just a tad more.  (rated PG-13) 8/10 stars