Good movie but grossly overrated

The acting in this movie is really good.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

For Book Month, we look at the popular books series "A Series Of Unfortunate Events" with this one which is said to have elements from the first three books. Anyway, this movie features Jim Carrey as the villain Count Olaf. Olaf is what makes this movie. Jim Carrey steals every scene he's in. He was the absolute perfect choice for Olaf and he can move his face and body so much he gets into character wonderfully. Honestly, the events weren't that unfortunate.They even have an amusing intro with the littlest elf. This actually becomes relevant later in the story. The baby is another great edition, especially with her giggles are subtitled. Dang, that Olaf was evil. The child actors are good too. I think the credits were twelve minutes long! ***

A series of unfortunate Events is a very well made, Tim Burton-esque movie, with a lot of great atmosphere and charm.The cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki is very fitting with the tone, the movie is going for, which is kind of bleak and macabre, but also fairly funny and sometimes even hopeful...The three Budelaire children are all played by great actors, and the adult acts are on-par. Meryl Streep gives a not TOO over-the-top performance so that you are still invested in her character, Billy Connolly is the uncle everyone wishes he could have, and Jim Carrey is excellent as Count Olaf. For many years i didn't even knew it was him! (The same with Jude Law, but to be fair, he's embodiment of Lemony Snicket is always in shadows ^^)The visual Effects of this movie (which is 12 years old by now) stood the test of time incredibly well, most of the time it's not even visible if somethings real or not. There is only one effect shot which overstays it's welcome, when the little Sunny catches something with her mouth and than looks straight into the camera in full CGI. A cut a few seconds earlier would have been great, every other CG-embodiment of her character works fairly well.The soundtrack by Thomas Newman hits all the right emotional marks and the atmosphere of the film. The end track sticks in my head for weeks after i watched this.Speaking of the end track, it's heard while seeing a incredible artistic and creative fully animated end title-sequence which is marvelously great to the end, so stay for the end credits.It's all in all a fairly well made, dark, but not too dark family picture, with great performances and intense set-pieces...

Visually, the movie is very beautiful. Gothic yes, and beautiful. 9/10 for that.I remember watching this when I was a teenager, then I look it up again now and hey, it's really good.The Baudelaires children are cute, the villains are funny, and the sets is adorable.The best part was how the children made me feel about them. I sympathized with them, and yet, I am also satisfyingly fulfilled by them.The story, like all grim comedic movie (another story with a nearly similar theme like this is Into the Woods), is somehow somewhat a mess. But it worked. It worked fine.I loved it then, and I still love it now.Sadly, they don't give it a sequel.This is a kind of movie that will always have a place in my heart and my movie collection.P.S. The credit also has an eye-candy animation.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004): Dir: Brad Silberling / Cast: Jim Carrey, Liam Aiken, Meryl Streep, Jude Law, Emily Browning: The title sounds like the recent career decisions of Jennifer Lopez. Based on the kids book about trauma and tragedy where two children are sent to live with their scheming uncle Count Olaf when their parents pass away. He is really after their inheritance. The narration indicates that the content is dark but for a film aimed at families this is perhaps too dark. Count Olaf even arranges for the children to be hit by a train, which is disturbing for a film aimed at children. Lame plot becomes one constant pursuit until he tries to marry the eldest daughter in hints of paedophilia. Directed by Brad Silberling who previously made the dreadful Casper. Jim Carrey is a fine comedic talent but Olaf is an idiot that he even he cannot bring grace too. Supporting roles by Liam Aiken and Meryl Streep are too brief and repetitious. Jude Law voices Snicket who is never involving as a personality. The children are presented with as little personality as humanly possible although Emily Browning has potential to go further. The visual effects and art direction are the one area of major compliment but the screenplay is warped beyond repair. It contains a strong theme that exposes greed but in the long run the film itself is one big series of unfortunate events on its own. Score: 4 / 10