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Average User Score: 7 (104 sources)

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Tell the world what you think of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

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sheep233

-1

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Pretty good. Kind of weird and the acting is kind of bad,but still a good movie for the whole family.

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Posted jul 22, 2008 7:25 am pt

HaydenMovie

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Very good movie! I enjoyed it immensely. the only problem I had with it was its unfaithfulness to the book.

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Posted feb 20, 2008 9:45 pm pt

zophar53

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This being Jim Carrey's latest comedic foray, it might just be his strangest film to date. Although, it is interesting to note that compared to most of Carrey's other characters, this might be one of his most subdued. The wackiness is still...
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This being Jim Carrey's latest comedic foray, it might just be his strangest film to date. Although, it is interesting to note that compared to most of Carrey's other characters, this might be one of his most subdued. The wackiness is still there, but it just doesn't seem as over the top as we've come to expect of him.
The story begins when three young siblings find themselves orphaned, their parents falling victim to a fire that destroys their large home. As the heirs of their family's fortune, they are taken to live with their long lost uncle, played by Carrey. It is quickly revealed that this character is very strange and is only interested in the inheritance, forcing the children to do endless chores and accidentally leaving them in a locked car standing on a railroad crossing.
We also learn that these children are very unique themselves. The oldest sister is a genius at inventing things and using her surroundings to her advantage. The brother is an avid reader, and has read every book in their parents massive library. This makes him knowledgable in almost every subject imaginable. The youngest sister, the baby, is very intelligent and loves to bite through everything.
After escaping from their evil uncle, their social service worker keeps trying to place them with other family members, who get increasingly more bizarre throughout the movie. With each relative, Carrey's character dons a disguise and works himself into their lives in secret, still attempting to claim the inheritance. Each time, the children's resourcefullness thwarts him and prompts another trip to social services for another attempt to find a place they can call home.
While the story is very basic, Lemony Snicket has some charm to it. Both the eccentric characters and the way the story is narrated give the movie a kind of tragic fairy tale feel. The art design is also very notable. It's dark and at the same time slightly charicaturized. The best way to describe it is Dr. Suess meets Tim Burton.
That being said, this is a film for those who are looking for something that is a bit different and interesting. It's not really a "normal" Jim Carrey flick, but a dark, oddly wacky laugh. Give it a try at a matinee or a rental, you just might like it.

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Posted feb 13, 2008 11:21 am pt

telvisnostic

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A terrifying view of how children can be treated when someone wants their trust fund.

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Posted sep 27, 2007 11:52 am pt

Sarah10106

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I enjoyed the movie, but I did kind of differ from the book, which I understand alot of movies based on books do, but the ending did kind of bothered me having read the whole series, Jim Carey however, did a wonderful job protraying the one and...
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I enjoyed the movie, but I did kind of differ from the book, which I understand alot of movies based on books do, but the ending did kind of bothered me having read the whole series, Jim Carey however, did a wonderful job protraying the one and only count Olaf. He really did make the film...

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Posted sep 25, 2007 6:32 am pt

lost-ruin001

-1

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the book's better
2.5/5 star

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Posted mar 18, 2007 11:32 pm pt

gruffi40

-1

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Have yet to read the books, but I couldn't help but love the spirit of this film. Completely on their own the children overcome horrific odds. A true testament to perserverance and family.

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Posted mar 11, 2007 6:37 pm pt

amauriel

-1

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I thought that this movie was supposed to be about unfortunate events. I mean it's in the title of the movie. But, this movie was actually rather funny. My criticism of this movie was that it strayed much too far from the plot of the books.

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Posted feb 23, 2007 11:40 pm pt

CTUBauer24

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I like the books but i do not like this movie it was based on the frist three books and it was done poorly It was done so poorly i think i wasted my money. the only good actor in the film is Jim Carrey

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Posted feb 19, 2007 6:50 am pt

NoOneIsAlone

-1

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Unlike the books who are about misfortune, this movie is quite funny with Jim Carrey as Count Olaf, though it would have been better if they would have retain themselves to the original books with more original storyline, but overall not a bad...
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Unlike the books who are about misfortune, this movie is quite funny with Jim Carrey as Count Olaf, though it would have been better if they would have retain themselves to the original books with more original storyline, but overall not a bad film, though it could have been better.

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Posted feb 6, 2007 7:36 am pt

• [+] Chicago Tribune
  
  100
  Exceptionally clever, hilariously gloomy and bitingly subversive.

  by Robert K. Elder | Read Full Review »
• [+] Washington Post
  
  80
  Good movie, great fun.

  by Desson Thomson | Read Full Review »
• [+] Empire
  
  80
  Silberling does a good job of introducing Snicket to the big screen in an impressive adaptation that’s always smart, even if it’s rarely spectacular.

  by Caroline Westbrook | Read Full Review »
• [+] Newsweek
  
  80
  Pretty charming. Audiences may like it more than critics, but everyone should agree it's one of the most wickedly stylish movies of the year.

  by Sean Smith | Read Full Review »
• [+] Washington Post
  
  80
  A gem of a movie, all its adversity and wickedness a backdrop for a story about the remarkable resilience of children

  by Jennifer Frey | Read Full Review »
• [+] Austin Chronicle
  
  78
  Carrey is a bit of a conundrum: He's the best and worst thing about Lemony Snicket.

  by Kimberley Jones | Read Full Review »
• [+] Boston Globe
  
  75
  The film's no masterpiece, but at least you're in the hands of people who know what they're doing.

  by Ty Burr | Read Full Review »
• [+] San Francisco Chronicle
  
  75
  Much credit for this delightfully morose children's film must go to director Brad Silberling's careful orchestration. Please note, in the vocabulary-building spirit of the Snicket books, that the word "orchestration'' here means "coaxing good performances out of child actors and keeping Jim Carrey in check.''

  by Carla Meyer | Read Full Review »
• [+] Premiere
  
  75
  An astounding achievement in production design, an original creation so completely in tune with the books' macabre sensibilities that even the movie's (arguably) happy ending can't diminish its satisfying sense of schadenfreude.

  by Peter Debruge | Read Full Review »
• [+] Miami Herald
  
  75
  A work of wonderfully sinister fantasy. Director Brad Silberling is always mindful of his kiddie audience -- the movie is never even remotely scary.

  by Rene Rodriguez | Read Full Review »
• [+] ReelViews
  
  75
  Manages to remain witty throughout.

  by James Berardinelli | Read Full Review »
• [+] Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  75
  A pessimistic chronicle that even optimistic 8-year-olds can love.

  by Carrie Rickey | Read Full Review »
• [+] Dallas Observer
  
  70
  Just might be Jim Carrey's finest screen role...The rest of the movie, however, isn't quite up to Carrey's level.

  by Luke Y. Thompson | Read Full Review »
• [+] The Onion (A.V. Club)
  
  70
  At its best, A Series Of Unfortunate Events is the stuff nightmares are made of, a sick joke of a film that realizes the best children's entertainment doesn't hide from the bleaker side of life, but plunges into the void and respects kids enough to assume they can handle it.

  by Nathan Rabin | Read Full Review »
• [+] Variety
  
  70
  Snicket's macabre tale of three newly orphaned siblings has been lavishly visualized. But for all its elaborate splendor, production pic lacks the feeling and imagination that have distinguished the best recent kidpics.

  by Scott Foundas | Read Full Review »