7.11.05

Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events review

I had the pleasure of watching Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events for a second time and here’s my musings on that very unique experience. 

A Series of Unfortunate Events is a movie full of some great themes like community, friendship, seeing through deception and staying loyal to the ones you love even if what’s around you may seem utterly horrible and unfortunate. The themes play themselves out through comical horror and mystery. 

The setting of the movie is sometime in the nineteenth century, maybe a bit on the earlier side, and most definitely on earth (although you never know), but exaggerated in a dark comic book style, which does a great job on portraying the mood of the books. 

A Series of Unfortunate Events involves some pretty sweet actors. The centerpiece of the movie is Jim Carrey who plays Count Olaf. Carrey does a good job of playing the odd and pathetic characters of Count Olaf in the book. It does take the movie in an odd direction though, sometimes making it a bit more focused on the comedy aspect than you might expect from such a mellow and serious set of books. I didn’t remember laughing while reading them. I think a wide variety of audiences would love this movie, starting at the pre-teen level. It’s a good family movie.

The part that most sticks out in my mind from the movie is the slightly delayed letter the Bauldelaires receive at the end because of how wise and loving it is. It very much summarizes the movie quite well and all it’s themes, telling the Bauldelaires to keep loving each-other even through the times when home seems like a forgotten aspect of their lives. The letter also tells them how home is always with them. Wow, that was an awesome letter I’d like to read it again.

My verdict is that it’s OK, not absolutely great, just because some of the acting isn’t to  good and some of the parts aren’t all to interesting. I’d suggest you see it though, just since the books are very good and overall the movie is pretty good.

- joel penner

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