Movie Review -- A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Director: Brad Siberling
Writers: Robert Gordon (screenplay), Daniel Handler (books)
Casts: Jim Carrey, Jude Law, Meryl Streep, Emily Browning, Liam Aiken

I watched this as a child eight years ago. That is when I fell in love for Jim Carrey, Daniel Handler, and of course Lemony Snicket. Back then I didn't quite understand what's going on in the movie. So I watched it again, and again, and again. Yesterday I finished reading the whole 13 books and once more I watched the movie. Now I get it.

The story is commonly about three young children. The oldest is Violet Baudelaire (Emily Browning), fourteen years-old, Klaus Baudelaire (Liam Aiken), twelve years-old, and Sunny Baudelaire (Kara and Shelby Hoffman), still an infant. Violet loves to invent things, Klaus loves to read books and do research, while Sunny haS interest in biting because she has four sharp teeth.

The story begins when Mr. Poe, a banker and their parents' friend, told them that their house was perished in fire that killed both of their parents, left them as orphans with fortune. So the sent away to their, so told, closest relative, Count Olaf (Jim Carrey). It turns out that Count Olaf only wanted to steal their fortune. The bad luck three orphans trying to escape from the villain's plan, while Count Olaf seems to follow them everywhere they go.

When I watched this as a child, the movie is a bit scary for me because it is rather dark and I am a bit confused with the way Lemony Snicket (Jude Law), the narrator, the writer who investigate about the Baudelaires, tells the story.

But then things go crystal clear when I finished all 13 books of The Baudelaires Children. It is kind of dark. It contains mystery, a bit of gothic fiction, and lots of absurdist fiction in it. I'm nearly 20 now but I still love the books.

Now we discussed the movie. It is awesome with a big A! Jim Carrey totally rocks it! He was born to play Count Olaf. I'm really thankful to whatever revelation that Brad Siberling got so he casts Jim Carrey. And the other casts, it's just perfect. I just wish Klaus wear thick glasses, as it described in the books. But overall, it's still attached to the book.

The plot is totally different from the book, which is adapted from the three first book: Bad Beginning, Reptile Room, and Wide Window. It seems like Brad Siberling only wanted to filmed these three books, and then, finished. I get it, because not everybody can understand the book, because it's a bit complicated to enjoy, but I do. Plus, it was 13 books. It takes 3 movies or 4 to complete, unless the book is as popular as The Lord Of The Ring, Hunger Games, Narnia, etc, it will be so hard to make real.

Even though there are so many cut scenes, and changed scenes, but you can still enjoy the movie, whether you have read the book or not. This is a 2004 movie, but I'm sure it's enjoyable up until now.

So sit back, prepare your popcorn, and watch Jim Carrey rollin' :D