I have
read the first three books, which this film is based upon, in the Lemony
Snicket series of eleven. They are undeniably fun to read, satirically
capturing darkness with an unsettling, while still playful, tone. As far as
modern children’s literature goes, they are rare finds. With that being
said, they do have their flaws, even if most of which can be overseen, due
to the honest intentions of the material. However, these exact same faults
could’ve ruined the Series of Unfortunate Events film, for it
functions as real art, rather than a simply an amusingly academic
diversion for kids.
Thankfully, Lemony Snicket’s The Bad Beginning,
The Reptile Room, and The Wide Window’s two biggest problems,
have been fixed in director Brad Siberling’s adaptation of A Series of
Unfortunate Events. For this, audiences can thank screenwriter Robert
Gordon. With much sense, he decided to change the atrocious ending of The
Bad Beginning, and then used his equally preposterous (but far more
satisfying) version of it as a conclusion to the entire film. In addition to
that, he decided to make the story a little lighter than it was in the
books. As entertaining as their twisted senses of humor can be, they have
certain moments that leave the reader questioning where they should be
laughing at the misfortune of Baudelaire Children, the protagonists of the
story, or sympathizing for them. This puzzlement, much to my delight, never
arises in the movie.
The three Baudelaire children are Violet (Emily
Browing), the eldest, who likes to invent, Klaus (Liam Aiken), the
middle-child, who likes to read, and Sunny (Kara and Shelby Hoffman), the
baby, who likes to bite. Throughout Lemony Snicket’s A Series of
Unfortunate Events, they are…well…victims of a series of unfortunate
events, and must use their own passions to muscle their way out of misery.
When their parents are killed by a huge fire which also destroys their
mansion, they are adopted by their distant relative Count Olaf (Jim Carrey),
an evil man who wants to steal their family’s fortune, which cannot be
touched until Violet is of age. He executes one creatively awful scheme
after another, in order to get his hands on the money, fooling everyone who
has their not-so-watchful eye on him. Even when Olaf is proven a poor
guardian and the Baudelaires are sent to live with their Uncle Monty (Billy
Connolly), and, later, their Aunt Josephine (Meryl Streep), he still tries
to strip the children of their inheritance. In the Lemony Snicket
books, the police are hot on his tale. They realize what Olaf is up to and
that he is a threat to the Baudelaire children’s safety. In the film,
however, his various disguises are more successful, and he is able to
discreetly approach the Baudelaire fortune, coming closer to stealing it
with each attempt he makes.
Each of the first three books in the series
could’ve made for its own full movie, as they are all extremely interesting
and vividly detailed. Despite this, I like that screenwriter Gordon chose to
use all of them, combined, to craft the storyline for Lemony Snicket’s A
Series of Unfortunate Events. The movie flies by with a runtime of just
short of two hours. The plot is constantly moving and the characters, just
as they would in reality, are always developing. If I hadn’t read the books
beforehand, I would’ve assumed that the film was only half-over, when it was
really about to end.
There are times when Lemony Snicket’s A Serious
of Unfortunate Events feels forced, but only the greatest of fantasy is
free of these moments. During the movie, I was captivated, mystified by its
very expensive visuals, and, most of all, brought back into the mindset of a
little kid. A Series of Unfortunate Events tells a tragic story and
Count Olaf is a terrible man, but you better just damn me to hell if I
wasn’t supposed to enjoy it. The year 2004 has finally seen the light (or,
in this case, darkness) of a family film that can be enjoyed by every member
of the family.
-Danny, Bucket Reviews
(Posted in 12.28.2004-2.5.2005 Update)