MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN (2016) – My rating: 7/10

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children “Miss P” was different than I expected but still good. Alertness is the key to this movie because if you miss anything, you’ll be lost. The mystery starts when a young teenage boy named Jacob “Jake” Portman, (Asa Butterfield) who is deeply in awe of his grandfather, Abraham “Abe” Portman (Terence Stamp) receives a frantic phone call and rushes to his grandfather’s house along with his  co-worker, Shelly (O-Lan Jones). They find the house trashed and Jake’s grandfather dying in the woods.  Still hanging on to life, Abe frantically tells his grandson to find “the bird, the loop and September 3, 1943”.  At that moment, Jake sees a gigantic, tentacled humanoid monster, which resembles the ones described by his grandfather, creeping up behind Shelly.  After warning his co-worker, she shoots her pistol into thin air and the adventure begins. Abe spent many years telling Jake about his childhood battling gruesome monsters and spending part of World War II living at “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”, located off the coast of Wales. The adolescent residents of the home, along with their headmistress, Miss Alma LeFay Peregrine (Eva Green), possess unique abilities and are known as “Peculiars”.  Jake is also told by his grandfather that he is special and should seek out “Miss P’s” home.  What happens after this initial introduction to “Miss P”, takes you on a journey of special effects, crazy characters, and answers to all the questions this mystery creates.  Jake, who is not very popular, gets to meet a host of eclectic children who give him a new meaning in life.

I found the story a little complicated but still entertaining.  You might want to wait for DVD, that way you can pause, rewind and replay questionable parts of the movie as many times as necessary.  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, in my opinion, is more suited for a younger teenage group vs an older, mature group.

RESURRECTION – My rating: 7/10

OK, the suspense level is high, the mystery level is high but my expectations are  apprehensive at best.  Because of Flash Forward, I am skeptical about this new series, starring Omar Epps as immigration agent, J. Martin Bellamy.  The story focuses on Arcadia, a small town in Missouri.  First, an eight year old boy who drowned 32 years ago, trying to save his aunt who fell in the lake, resurfaces, alive and well and unaged.  His parents, Henry and Lucille Langston are played by Frances Fisher and Kurtwood Smith, respectively are 32 years older and now suddenly have their son back, except that he’s still 8 years old.  Their son, Jacob is played by Landon Gimenez.  His DNA matches his father’s and his memory is impeccable.  Next, Caleb Richards, who died of a heart attack and has been dead for 8 years, resurfaces with no knowledge that he died of a heart attack.  No one knows what’s going on.  At last episode, Tom, the local preacher, discovered his former fiance, who committed suicide 12 years ago, has also been resurrected and was seated in his church alive and well.  All of this makes for an exciting series but so did Flash Forward, which was about almost everyone in the world falling unconscious for 2 minutes.  For those 2 minutes, you were able to see your future or not.  Those who didn’t see their future knew they didn’t have one.  The network left us hanging in midstream, without closure.  ABC is known for pulling the plug without explanation.  I’m sticking with this one in hopes that they will let Resurrection run its course.  I heard it’s still in the probationary stage.  I find it entertaining — check it out!