Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events (Widescreen Edition)

Got for my granddaughter. A great movie for kids

Not being of school age, I haven't read the Lemony Snicket books upon which this movie is based, but I can tell you, there's a definite "literary" quality to the production. This whole movie, especially the artful, kabuki-like credits, looks like a PBS or BBC production, rather than something Dreamworks or Nickelodeon would come up with. The three children, the two older ones, Klaus and Violet, being played by Liam Aiken and Emily Browning, are subjected to one gawd-awful catastrophe after another: First their house burns down, taking their picture-perfect parents with it, thus orphaning them; then they're taken by the harmless, if somewhat clueless, Mr. Poe, their parents' banker, to their purported kinsman, Count Olaf, who wants nothing less than to do away with the children and keep their parent's substantial stipend for himself.Jim Carrey portrays Count Olaf as only Jim Carrey can: over the top, cartoonish and funnier than blazes. His every nuance provokes a chuckle, as when he tells the children, (as he's driving them to his first attempt to kill them,) that he wants to be "the ULLLLL-timate dad!", or when, disguised as Captain Sham, an archetypical "old salt" sea captain, he makes an oath by his stubby peg leg, which he comically lifts up for all to witness.Another great point about this movie is the incredible art direction, which somehow manages to make you believe that it's set at the turn of the last century or thereabouts, though, by observing most details, it's obviously set in at least the early sixties. Every detail is sweated, as in Violet's inventions, Olaf's ramshackle abode, Aunt Josephine's, (Meryl Streep, playing a neurotic bundle of nerves,) precariously situated house, (which is ALSO ramshackle,) and the old Czechoslovakian Tetra automobile, (a model as rare as hen's teeth in the West,) for Mr. Poe, the banker/caretaker that refuses to acknowledge that the nefarious Count Olaf is out to kill the kids.The big scene-stealing character in this film is the adorable little Sunny, the youngest of the Boudelaire children. This is a toddler, just barely out of diapers, whose every unintelligible utterance is given clever, hip subtitles, usually put-downs, making fun of the scary adults the kids are subjected to.Billy Connolly plays the one relatively sane guardian Poe finds for them, Uncle Monty Montgomery, (and even HE has flaws, considering that his house is overrun with dangerous reptiles and snakes). After endearing himself almost immediately to the children, he, like squirrelly Aunt Josephine, meets an untimely end at the hands of Count Olaf. Look out for Jennifer Coolidge and Craig Ferguson as members of Olaf's acting troupe.All in all, I'm really surprised that this cute little movie didn't do better at the box office. The art direction is fantastic, it's funnier than Hades whenever Carrey's on screen, the music is charming, the acting perfect and the production values are up to today's usual high standards. Why did it miss?Just imagine Charles Dickens run through the mind of Tim Burton, and you will have some idea of what this movie is like. Run, don't walk, to your video store or ONLINE MARKETPLACE to get this underrated little gem.

I am going to start this review, a bit different then I usually do, I would like to wish Amazon.com a happy 10 anniversity. I first heard about Amazon.com about 5-6 years ago, and maybe at little bit before that, I had started writing reviews here in early 2001, so that should be about the right time. And it hard to believe that Amazon.com is 10 years old. And I hope more happy anniversites in the future from Amazon.com. And now on to the review of Lemony Snicket's A Series of UnFortunate Events. Jim Carrey returns to playing a villian in this movie, that is unrozineable, he doesn't look, sound, moves, or even acts like he normally does, the last time that we have seen him playing a villian, was How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). And both of these movies got 2 thumbs down from Ebert & Roeper, this one was a mild thumbs down from Roger Ebert. Now I can understand them hating How the Grinch Stole Christmas, since it was a comedy, but this film got good reviews from the movie critics. The film starts with a cartoon of a happy elf, and then we hear the voice of Lemony Snicket (Jude Law), that says that this is not the film you will not see, and is seen in the film, but lurking in the dark, writing the story down on a typewriter. And there is a really Lemony Snicket who wrote this series of books, and even has commentry of the dvd, with the director, or also has his own commentry. The tale is about 3 children Violet (Emily Browning), Klaus (Liam Aiken) and Sunny (Kara Hoffman and Shelby Hoffman) Baudelaire, learn from Mr. Poe (Timothy Spall) that their parents was killed in a house fire, and now are oprhans, and with orders from their parents in their will, to take them to thier close family member Count Olaf (Jim Carrey) who is their cousin, somehow removed. Or Sunny thinks that somebody's brain that has been removed. Olaf is an actor, and he has his own theatre, and he is evil, and makes the kids to chorces including making dinner from him and his acting troop, but he doesn't say that he wants Roast Beef, and they make him, Puttanesca. Along they way he way, he wins guardinship of the children, stop by a sotre, and parks his car on train tracks, and soon a train comes, and he is laughing wickedly in side, and who also be in the area, but Mr. Poe who can't hear the children because of the train, so they work a plan to not be hit. And then when the plan workds, Mr. Poe takes them from the count, and brings them to their next guiarden Uncle Monty (Billy Connolly), and then Count Olaf shows up claimning to be a scientist, and then kills him, when hte kids aren't looking, and then they are picked up again by Mr. Poe and move in with their Aunt Josephine (Meryl Streep), whom you name it, she is afaird of it. And then the count shows up again claimming to be a sailor, but of course the kids are smart, and know it is really him behind all these disquises.

Little strange

My daughter will not sit through a movie if it isnt interesting. 😁👍🏽…. she sat through the whole movie AND asked questions.

Le dvd est bien, il a été reçu rapidement et en bon état.

I'd actually read the entire unfortunate events series,which covers thirteen books in total,all with alliterative titles,aside from the last,which is simply entitled 'the end', before seeing the film to see how such a complex series of books would translate on screen. The film only covers the first three books,the bad beginning,the reptile room,and the wide window,but the film starts and ends with the events of the bad beginning,in a kind of sandwich effect, which works very well. Everyone is perfectly cast,especially the evil Count Olaf,played by Jim Carrey,who turns up throughout the film in a variety of disguises so unconvincing and transparent that he makes Hannibal from the A Team look like a master of disguise. As the tragedy stricken Baudelaire children move from guardian to guardian,they display great courage in great adversity,and this conveys a strong message that family solidarity can overcome anything.It's a fabulous film,and a great pity that no more have as yet been made to follow the rest of the series of books. For Carrey's performance alone,it's well worth the money.

What can i say, i caught this on TV as an adult after having never seen it and was hooked at it's quirks. At this point i'd already fallen in love with Emily Browning's brave choices in film, choosing heart and creativity over pay cheques and Hollywood drivel, and yet when i first say this I again thought she was great before realising it was her. It's worth a mention i know nothing of the books to need to compare it negatively as i've read the likes of Carey took liberties in their interpretation of characters.

this film is sooo good!!! i would recommend it to EVERYONE, little people and adults. it is AMAZING! it is really fun and funny and has a feel good feeling and is all happy in some way even thought there are lots of tense moments and there isnt much happiness. it is funny, and cool and exciting and SUCH a great film! i dont know anyone who doesnt like it ( i dont know very many people who have watched it though) but all my friends love it! i really think you should watch it, it is clever and interesting and believable somehow although at the same time it is completely crazy. if you dont know whether you should watch it... you SHOULD! SO BUY THE FILM, WATCH IT AND YOU'LL LOVE IT!!!! ONE DIRECTION ROX, by the way if you want the best music then you should so totally buy them

personnellement j'ai aimé ce film, mais les enfants (8, 6, 4, 2 ans) - ont pensé qu'il fait peur. L'enfant de 8 ans dit que les couleurs sont moche - mais j'ai pensé c'était artistique. Malgré leur opinion, j'ai remarqué que tous sauf le bébé étaient figés au film. Peut etre cela leur faisait un peu de suspens, maus, à mon avis, en assez bon goût et rien de traumatisant.