 
Sometimes it’s a relief to have not read books that are later made into films. You can watch with little or no expectations and almost complete objectivity, so when I sat down to view A Series Of Unfortunate Events, my only reference point was a magic 8-ball sent out by Dreamworks, where every outcome was a negative one. I’m also not a big Jim Carrey fan, but since I enjoyed Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, I figured I’d give the guy another chance. As it turns out, I was delighted by the Tim Burton-like settings, the dark humor that permeated each of the stories and thought the cast was well-chosen. Oh yeah - Jim Carrey wasn’t too over the top and played multiple roles with just the right tone. The story centers around the three Baudelaire children who are orphaned
when their parents are killed in a fire that destroys their home and
all their possessions. When they’re sent to live with their distant
relative, Count Olaf, it soon becomes apparent that he’s trying
to kill them and take control of their inheritance. After the kids manage
to escape Olaf’s attempts on their life, they’re shuffled
around to several other obscure family members who also wind up on the
Count’s hit list. Meryl Streep is a hoot as Aunt Josephine and
you have to love the twin girls who portray Sunny, the youngest member
of the trio who’s particularly keen on biting when the going gets
tough. The sets and special effects are lovely and full of detail and
the pacing is solid. The bonus disc takes you behind the scenes to watch
the creation of the special effects and sound design along with photo
galleries of the sets, costumes and more. This is a great film for both
adults and older children and will undoubtedly become a classic in years
to come. - David Bassin
|
Lemony
Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events