Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Movie Review 2004

Visually splendid Burtonesque Victorian Gothic adaptation of three books from the series by Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) is playfully gruesome yet not quite subversive enough. Violet (Browning), Klaus (Aiken), and Sunny Baudelaire are wealthy orphans shuttled from one peculiar, distant relative to another. These include sinister Count Olaf (Carrey), who is determined to obtain the family fortune, snake-loving Uncle Monty (Connolly), and phobic Aunt Josephine (Streep). The siblings survive every calamity through pluck, brains, and the fact that toddler Sunny is a ferocious biter. Much hammy villainy and episodic adventure abounds, to enjoyable effect. a silhouetted Law (as Snicket himself) supplies ominous narration.

Distribution

Paramount Home Video, 5555 Melrose Ave., 5555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038, Phone: (323)956-5000, URL: http://www.paramount.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 107 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Comic Adventure, Fantasy, Gifted Children, Adoption & Orphans, Brothers & Sisters, Boston, Inheritance, Aunts & Uncles, Nieces & Nephews, Black Comedy

Screenplay

Robert Gordon

Cast

Jim Carrey, Liam Aiken, Emily Browning, Kara Hoffman, Shelby Hoffman, Jude Law, Timothy Spall, Catherine O'Hara, Billy Connolly, Meryl Streep

Cinematography

Emmanuel Lubezki

Director

Brad Silberling

Music

Thomas Newman

Other

Pud Cusack, Michael Kahn, Dylan Tichenor, John Dexter, Colleen Atwood, Rick Heinrichs

Producer

Laurie MacDonald, Walter F. Parkes, Jim Van Wyck, Nickelodeon, Paramount

Awards

Oscars 2004: Makeup.