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List Price: $12.98 | | Label: Paramount
Salesrank: 11958
Released: April 26, 2005 |
| Our Price: $6.50 |
| Used Price: $0.52 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
In LEMONY SNICKET’S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, after Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire's parents perish in a terrible fire, they are placed in the care of their uncle, Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), an evil fiend who is plotting to kill them and seize their fortune. The orphans travel from guardian to guardian, including herpetologist Montgomery Montgomery (Billy Connolly) and grammar-wise Aunt Josephine Anwhistle (Streep), but the worst guardian of all is Count Olaf. Plotting to steal the children’s fortune, Olaf disguises himself as his assistant Stephano and ship captain Julio Sham and keeps popping up in the strangest places. Just when the Baudelaires think things are getting better, something unfortunate happens!
Description of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (Widescreen Edition):
If you spliced Charles Addams, Dr. Seuss, Charles Dickens, Edward Gorey, and Roald Dahl into a Tim Burtonesque landscape, you'd surely come up with something like Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Many critics (in mostly mixed reviews) wondered why Burton didn't direct this comically morbid adaptation of the first three books in the popular series by Daniel Handler (a.k.a. "Lemony Snicket," played here by Jude Law and seen only in silhouette) instead of TV and Casper veteran Brad Silberling, but there's still plenty to recommend the playfully bleak scenario, in which three resourceful orphans thwart their wicked, maliciously greedy relative Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), who subjects them to... well, a series of unfortunate events. Along the way they encounter a herpetologist uncle (Billy Connolly), an anxious aunt (Meryl Streep) who's afraid of everything, and a variety of fantastical hazards and mysterious clues, some of which remain unresolved. Given endless wonders of art direction, costume design, and cinematography, Silberling's direction is surprisingly uninspired (in other words, the books are better), but when you add a throwaway cameo by Dustin Hoffman, Law's amusing narration, and Carrey's over-the-top antics, the first Lemony movie suggests a promising franchise in the making. --Jeff Shannon
A Message from Count Olaf
Dear Adoring Fan of Count Olaf,
Perhaps once every thousand years, a talent emerges that completely changes the way movies are made, orphans are orphaned, and heartthrobs throb. Often this talent has only one eyebrow, as is the case with one of the most cherished and admired actors scheming today. Surely you can you guess of whom I think.
No, you fool! I am referring to the One...the Only...the Unbelievably Handsome Count Olaf!
Or, as I like to call him, Me.
If you've already seen my performance in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, you must still be speechless. But if you haven't, you are in serious danger. Just teasing. But you could be after I send one of my gifted henchpersons to your home!
So why not get my movie on DVD? This major motion spectacle has everything. Me, acting! Leeches, attacking! Orphans, almost falling off a cliff! Of course, if you are familiar with books by Lemony Snicket, you know that they include all of these things too, but most of what he says is lies, and the rest is completely boring.
There's never been a film that demands repeated viewing in quite the same way, with a diabolical genius writing you a letter that says, "I DEMAND REPEATED VIEWING!!!" Plus with DVD extras, you'll get at least 20% more Olaf for your money. And... just for you, for an unlimited time only, I'll throw in Aunt Josephine free with purchase.*
So, noble Amazonians, put down your hunting spears and exotic headdresses, and prepare to bask in True Greatness. Or, as I like to call it, Me.
Of course you may have my autograph!
Count Olaf
*Count Olaf will not be held liable or accept blame in any way for any and all liability, loss, damage, or personal injury (including death), without limit and without regard once Aunt Josephine is thrown in, due to the unpredictable behavior of hungry leeches.
Stills from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (Click to Enlarge)
Violet, Count Olaf, and Klaus |
Aunt Josephine |
Count Olaf and Aunt Josephine |
Directing Jim Carrey |
Klaus, Mr. Poe, Sunny, and Violet |
Count Olaf |
Olaf Ascending |
The Baudelaire Orphans |
All Things Snicket
See a complete list of all Lemony Snicket's creations, including books from the Series of Unfortunate Events, calendars, and more.
The Essential Lemony Snicket Books
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ominous Omnibus, Books 1-3 |
The Situation Worsens: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 4-6 |
The Dilemma Deepens: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 7-9 |
The Slippery Slope: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 10 |
The Grim Grotto: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 11 |
A Library of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-10 |
Behind the Scenes with Count Olaf: A Series of Unfortunate Events Movie Book |
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography |
The Puzzling Puzzles Activity Book |
More from the Movie
Original Movie Poster |
Soundtrack |
Wall Poster |
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Computer & Video Games
For PS2 |
For PC |
For Xbox |
For GameCube |
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (Widescreen Edition) Reviews:
A Little Carrey Goes a Long Way 
2009-12-13 - In "Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events" (2004), narrated by Jude Law, Jim Carey not only plays a hammy would-be actor, Count Olaf, but he mugs up his multiple parts so much that the movie gets overwhelmed by him. One can't tell it's Jim Carrey because of his weird make-up, but he's still an annoying presence. How do you shut him down or off without foregoing the movie altogether?
The movie, a dark comedy, is based upon Daniel Handler's popular books which have been labeled "subversive children's books" because they are unconventional. Three children have been made orphans when their parents perished in a fire. They are the Baudelaire family (same name as a famous French poet). The three children are very resourceful: Violet is a clever inventor, Klaus is an avid reader who remembers everything he's ever read, and the youngest, Sunny, speaks in subtitles.
Lawyer Poe, like a mannered character from a book rather than a real person, places them with Count Olaf, a crook who wants the wealthy orphans' inheritance. In a series of Perils of Pauline cliffhangers (cars planted on tracks in front of oncoming trains, leeches swarming and attacking, and a Charles Addams house teetering on the edge of a cliff), Olaf tries to kill off the kids.
Meryl Streep acts like she's from another movie (a not very good one), and it's one of her poorest performances, ineffective and cloying. Keep an eye out for a pointless cameo appearance by Dustin Hoffman.
Uncle Monty (Billy Connolly), a good guy, has a collection of snakes that may scare or delight the kiddos.
At times the flick is overly cute. I find the story to be clunky and labored. I'm not sure that little kids are going to figure out what's going on, and Jim Carrey's over-the-top posturing may not register.
The closing credits are very cleverly done, reminiscent of illustrator Gorey. Carrey plays a menacing presence, but he does a much better job playing Scrooge in 2009's "Christmas Carol." This is a quirky movie with great sets, and an adaptation that will probably thrill the readers of the book series.
Enjoyable 
2009-12-08 - My son and I are reading the Unfortunate Events series and purchasing the movie just made it more enjoyable. Also for the price we paid, you can't go wrong. Hopefully, they make part 2.
I'm an adult who loved this movie
2009-12-02 - I usually cannot stand Jim Carey and his antics, but he wasn't so bad in this movie although I would not have cast him in the role of Count Olaf. I have never read the Lemony Snicket books, but I thought all the other casting was great. the thing that I love most about this movie is that its a visual feast for the senses, I love the muted colors and the whimsical world that these characters live in, its is both tangible and familer but at the same time strangely and uniquely diffrent. Its defintely a world I would love to see if such a thing were possible. This is an entertaining movie for children and those who are still young at heart. I had no idea that Jude law was the narrator of this film for some strange reason I always thought it was Ben Chaplin.
Great DVD 
2009-11-07 - My son loved Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Event dvd. Seller delivered dvds on time and in excellent condition.Great sound and picture quality, too. Happy customer results in happy buyers.
Prompt delivery
2009-09-11 - Wonderful seller! Very quick delivery and the product was in gret shape, just as described.
