Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)December 22nd, 2004
Amusing "Series of Unfortunate Events"
by Homer Yen
(c) 2004
Oh those poor Baudelaire children. In an instant, the three of them go from happy children to orphans with an uncertain future. Luckily, the three are not without some skills. Violet (Emily Browning) is resourceful who has an inventor's mind. She's certainly destined to win many science projects. Klaus (Liam Aiken) is an observant scrutinizer. He reads voraciously and much of his book knowledge helps him along. And then there's the adorable infant Sunny (Kara and Shelby Hoffman) whose bite is much worse than her bark. This combination of ingenuity and erudition allows them to stay one step ahead of the super-zany Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), whose sinister look about him tells us instantly that he's up to no good.
And up to no good he is. Gaining custody of the orphans would enable him to also gain control of the enormous inheritance left to the one who takes care of them. Immediately, the dastardly count devises a plan that is ghastly and grim. I am reminded somewhat of how Wile E. Coyote would plot his next great ploy to destroy the Road Runner. You can almost feel that Olaf wants to lick his lips in anticipation of the kill.
But like the episodic feel of the Wile E Coyote/Road Runner cartoons, "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" is, however, just that. It is a series of situations in which the children seemingly allude their pursuer only to have him turn up again and again and again. The story maintains a steady yet entertaining pace.
Yet, there is no arc. As we move from one location to another, it feels like you're watching three separate films. Then again, the credits do state that this film is based on three of Lemony Snicket's works. It feels less like a film with acts and more like a fun house with many rooms.
The sequences are, nonetheless, funny in a macabre way. One of Olaf's attempts to get rid of the children is by parking his car on a railroad track, locking the children inside, and waiting for the express to rumble through. Each attempt is packed with a sickly moment of dark surprise.
Ostensibly dark in feel, the movie establishes an atmosphere that is creepy yet comical. The film is powered like fusion energy by the animated, physical comedy of Jim Carrey. He is a sheer delight to watch. He settles comfortably into the weird role of Olaf (as well as several others), but he wears it so well that he practically mugs the camera at every given opportunity. What a joy he must be to hang around the movie set with. I'm assuming this because there are a lot of cameos, including Meryl Streep who does a rare turn at comedy. I wished that they would show outtakes because his antics would surely generate laughter.
The movie does a lot of things well. Yet, it's obvious that there will be more things to come.
Maybe we'll learn more Olaf's strange cadre of friends. Possibly, we'll see who can be an effective guardian to the Baudelaire children.
And, perhaps we'll better understand the meaning of the spyglass, an iconic prop that's never really explained in this installment. It's a drawback that the film unfolds as a series of events. Yet, each event is a marvelous event unto its own.
Grade: B
S: o out of 3
L: 0 out of 3
V: 1 out of 3
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