Tim Burton is a very hit or miss director. While he has directed remakes that are just unbearable to watch (like 2001’s Planet of the Apes), every once in awhile he makes very whimsical, brilliant movies people appreciate like the Batman movies, Peewee’s Big Adventure, and Beetlejuice. Perhaps some of the reasons Tim Burton is loved by so many people, is not only because he has a beautifully gothic, artistic style, but because some of his films really speak to a very specific audience. He speaks to the kids who were the misfits and outsiders. Fortunately, Tim Burton was able to direct another movie to reach out to that particular fan base. I refer of course to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an adaptation of the book series by Ransom Riggs.

The main plot of this movie revolves around a normal teenager, Jake, (Asa Butterfield), who tragically loses his grandfather. Some of Jake’s favorite things from his childhood were the stories his grandfather told him about a mysterious home where abnormal kids, also known as Peculiars, that because of their strange and unbelievable powers, could go if they didn’t feel safe in society. One day, as he goes on a journey to find this home for peculiar children, he mysteriously stumbles across a cave system that leads him to the children’s home that is run by Miss Peregrine (Eva Green). But things take an unfortunate turn when an evil horde of Wights, which are supernatural, monstrous entities, led by Mr. Barron, (Samuel L. Jackson), attacks the home of peculiar children. It becomes up to Jake and the Peculiars to work together to defeat Mr. Barron and his henchmen.

Some of the elements that Tim Burton uses to show the magic in the film are production design and charming visuals. Because of Burton’s wide imagination in bringing a film to life, the design of the home for peculiar children looks very magical and creative. The other sets are brilliantly crafted and it also makes the viewer feel like they are in that world. The visual effects are wonderful too. Everything from the children’s dazzling powers, to the design of the creepy monsters trying to kill children, looks relatively interesting.

Throughout the film, there are some characters I thought were genuinely satisfying. One of those characters, is Miss Peregrine. Not only was her character extremely proper, profound, and over-the-top, but she was also amusing to watch, mainly because of her charisma that makes her so likeable.  Other characters, like the twins in the white clothing, as well as this adorable little girl with superhuman strength lifting things ten times her size, are some of the most amusing characters in the movie. Unfortunately, the characters that I was really interested in were the characters that didn’t get enough presence in the film.

While some characters are a delight, there are characters that I thought were completely undeveloped or just uninteresting. One of the biggest examples is the main character, Jake. Asa Butterfield’s performance is not only dull and lifeless, but his character is completely flat and boring. Another grievance I have with the film relates to the character development that never actually managed to resolve themselves.

The film is well-done visually and it’s evident that a lot of care has been put into the production design, but the film’s narrative is completely all over the place. Not only that, but the film really closely follows on the clichéd elements of young adult novel films, like the over-explanation of its mythology every minute or so, and it’s forced teenage romance that comes off as downright generic.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children may be impressive visually and creative with its production design, and with a few admirable characters, but with its boring protagonist, unresolved moments of character development, and its disorganized plotting and pacing, this movie is particularly messy. This film wasn’t be for me personally. However, if you like Tim Burton’s gothic aesthetics and his visual style of magic and imagination in his films, give this film a shot.