I haven't yet read the Series of Unfortunate Events books so I can't make any comparison between those and the film. I did however immensely enjoy the movie. It was imaginitive and funny. The scenery was breathtaking, the quality on the special effects fabulous.

I'll admit the 'Happy Little Elf' intro had me wondering if I'd gone into the wrong theatre. lol

The entire cast were fabulous in their respective roles. Jim Carrey puts his comedic talents to use in the character of Olaf and the various personalities he adopted in trying to capture the children. Emily Browning and Liam Aiken were great in the roles of Violet and Klaus respectively. And the Hoffman twins were adorable as Sunny, it's amazing how much they remind me of Mary-Kate and Ashley Oslen when they were babies.

There are numerous appearances by top actors such as Meryl Streep, Billy Connolly and Dustin Hoffman

The ending is great, and provides promise of a potential sequel.

Elements of the film were a little too scary for younger children. I think the writers went a little over the top with their description of the leeches (I noticed some body running out of the theatre as they appeared). I'd probably recommend 10 and up. Thankfully the film is one that adults can enjoy along with their children.

Overall a fantasticly acted, fantastic quality and totally enjoyable family film! A must see!

Rachel J's Review:

Author Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, makes a great show of warning children and their parents away from his work by telling them that they'll find nothing happy or pleasurable about his books—and now his movie. "The movie you're about to see is extremely unpleasant," Snicket intones as the film begins. Press notes warn of a "sinister villain and a hair-raising misadventure" during which viewers "will encounter a terrible fire, dim lighting, high tragedy, a giant snake, low comedy, man-eating leeches and Jim Carrey." Therefore, Snicket concludes, feel "free to seek lighter fare, like a documentary about cheese fondue."

Naturally, such manufactured tongue-in-cheek glumness has only made Lemony Snicket all the more popular. He's written and published 11 A Series of Unfortunate Events books so far. All of them are smash hits with kids around the world; the first book alone has sold just shy of 20 million copies and has been translated into nearly 20 languages.

On the movie screen, Snicket's Roald Dahl-inspired writing takes on a decidedly Tim Burton-esque tone as raw imagination meets Hollywood ingenuity and artistry that combines 19th century backdrops and 20th century props with 21st century sensibilities. Director Brad Silberling calls the result a "collision of tenses." Let me explain. When they're inside, the book's clever Baudelaire children and their clueless—sometimes murderous—adult counterparts ramble through aging mansions. Outside, they drive about in rusted- out 1950s-era Detroit-mobiles equipped with, believe it or not, telephones, reel-to-reel tape decks and remote keyless entry systems. Modern cultural references layered on top of that patchwork include a hilariously short cameo appearance by the AFLAC duck.

This is the fabulously fanciful world in which Violet (14), Klaus (12) and Sunny (1) Baudelaire suddenly become orphans and are thrust into a cascading series of most unfortunate events. Their continuing misfortune bears a name: Count Olaf, supposedly their closest relative, an actor of hideous intentions and unbridled greed. It becomes painfully clear that Olaf is only interested in the vast fortune the children have inherited, and that he will go so far as to kill to keep it all to himself.

Sexual Content: After the children are taken away from him and given to their Aunt Josephine, Count Olaf tries to worm his way back into their life by donning one of his many costumes (disguises) and pretending to court her. His advances are accompanied by a single, sly, sexual innuendo.

[Spoiler Warning]

While the film never delves into any sexual implications, it's a bit unnerving to watch Olaf coerce Violet into marrying him. Begging him not to go through with the evil plan, Violet confronts him with the fact that she's only 14, and that she can't be legally wed yet. He counters by informing her that she can if her guardian OKs it—and "I'm your guardian," he cackles.

Language: Olaf blurts out "d--mit" and "a--.

Jackie's Review:

Being a HUGE fan of the Series of Unfortunate Events books, I couldnt wait to see the movie. I didnt have a chance to see it in theaters, so i rushed out and bought it when it came out on DVD. For those of you that arent familiar with the books, A Series of Unfortunate Events is about 3 siblings who suddenly become orphans when their parents die in a fire. The children are then sent from guardian to guardian in hopes of finding one who will actually like them and want to keep them for good. However they get stuck with a distant cousin named Count Olaf who is only interested in the Baudelaire fortune.

The movie boasts a well known cast with guest apparances by Cedric the Entertainer, Dustin Hoffman, and Jennifer Coolidge, who plays the sassy Fiona in A Cinderella Story. Meryl Streep does an outstanding job protraying worrisome Aunt Josephine and the hilarious Jim Carrey plays the fearsome character of Count Olaf. New comer Emily Browning does an excellent job playing Violet Baudelaire, as well as Stepmom's Liam Aiken playing Klaus Baudelarie. However one year old twins Kara and Shelby Hoffman steal the show by having cute lines, and adorable laugh and just being sweet and cute infront of the camera. The twin girls share the role of the youngest Baudelaire, Sunny.

The movie has its funny parts and the special effects are pretty good, but the movie definetly could have been better. Those who have read the books may be a little disappointed at the lack of details and rush to fit the first 3 books in. Also, i havent finished the last book, but i think the movie may give the ending of the series away. Overall i give it a B-. So if you are looking for a few laughs, great actors and a bit of mysterious fanatsy, then Lemony Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Events is the movie for you to see.

More Reviews:

This movie was incredible! I've read the books and the movie is like them a lot. It has an outstanding cast and it was quite funny at times. You should definately go see it. - Molly

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