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Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
17 December 2004 (USA) moreTagline:
On December 17, Christmas cheer takes a holiday. morePlot:
Three wealthy children's parents are killed in a fire. When they are sent to a distant relative, they find out that he is plotting to kill them and seize their fortune. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 21 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(16 articles)
Nickelodeon Developing Kidrobot Movies (From Cinematical. 10 September 2008, 12:02 PM, PDT)
'Coach' a Big Winner at Box Office
(From Studio Briefing. 19 January 2005)
User Comments:
Much better than expected moreUS Showtimes:
(register to personalize)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Jim Carrey | ... | Count Olaf |
 | Liam Aiken | ... | Klaus |
 | Emily Browning | ... | Violet |
 | Kara Hoffman | ... | Sunny |
| Shelby Hoffman | ... | Sunny |
 | Jude Law | ... | Lemony Snicket (voice) |
 | Timothy Spall | ... | Mr. Poe |
 | Catherine O'Hara | ... | Justice Strauss |
 | Billy Connolly | ... | Uncle Monty |
 | Meryl Streep | ... | Aunt Josephine |
 | Luis Guzmán | ... | Bald Man |
 | Jamie Harris | ... | Fernald - Hook-Handed Man |
 | Craig Ferguson | ... | Person of Indeterminate Gender |
 | Jennifer Coolidge | ... | White Faced Woman |
| Jane Adams | ... | White Faced Woman |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
A Series of Unfortunate Events (USA) (original script title)Lemony Snicket (USA) (working title)
Lemony Snicket - Rätselhafte Ereignisse (Germany)
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MPAA:
Rated PG for thematic elements, scary situations and brief language.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
108 minLanguage:
EnglishAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreCertification:
Taiwan:PG-12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | France:U | Iceland:L | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Malaysia:U | South Korea:All | Brazil:10 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-11 | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:MG6 | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | UK:PG | USA:PGMOVIEmeter: 
9% since last week
why?
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The strange, menacing-looking engine in the railroad crossing scene very strongly resembles Pennsylvania T-1 4-4-4-4, an experimental engine built around the end of the steam era in 1942 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, and used exclusively by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The shots of the train in motion are a testament to well-done special effects, as all of the real T-1's were sold for scrap by the early 1950s, and no longer exist. moreGoofs:
Continuity: When Count Olaf is saying goodbye to the kids his hand is on the car's door handle. Then we cut to a shot from inside the car and Count Olaf's hands are on the windowsill. moreQuotes:
[first lines]Lemony Snicket: [the Littlest Elf has just come to an abrupt halt] I'm sorry to say that this is not the movie you will be watching. The movie you are about to see is extremely unpleasant. If you wish to see a film about a happy little elf, I'm sure there is still plenty of seating in theatre number two. However, if you like stories about clever and reasonably attractive orphans...
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Soundtrack:
Loverly Spring moreFAQ
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In the wake of Harry Potter the popular Lemony Snicket books have been rushed into production and considering the less than promising prospect of Brad Silberling directing and Jim Carrey starring, I didn't really hold out much hope. It turns out that the film is surprisingly good and apart from The Incredibles this was the only big budget Hollywood film I truly enjoyed this year.
Like Harry Potter, the Lemony Snicket books appeal to adults as well as to children but they are darker, funnier and more eccentric, making them more of a cult than the mainstream success of the Harry Potter series.
If you've read the books, you may miss the clever word play and you may feel that the two older children are miscast. Unlike in the books, the boy doesn't come across as particularly brainy and the girl looks just a bit too sexy as Violet, reminiscent of a teenage Anjelina Jolie. Still they are better than some of the child actors in the Harry Potter series.
On a visual level the film is simply stunning. True, some of it is reminiscent of Tim Burton as both Burton and Daniel Handler are strongly influenced by the work of the writer and illustrator Edward Gor ey. The look of the film is a highly stylized mixture of Edwardian times and the 1950's and convincingly brings to life the parallel universe of the books, where death is ever present and where the whole world has conspired to make the Baudelaire children's life a misery.
Folding books two and three into the storyline of the first one, the plot feels episodic but it stays consistently entertaining. Not being a Jim Carrey fan I was worried about his involvement (I still think Richard E. Grant would have been the perfect choice) but he nails and certainly looks the part of evil, failed thespian Count Olaf and thankfully he doesn't end up dominating the film, turning it into the Jim Carrey show.
The section involving Meryl Streep's fearful Aunt Josephine is the best part of the film. Taking place against backdrops reminiscent of Masaki Kobayashi's stylish horror classic Kwaidan, Lake Lachrymose is as beautiful as it is nightmarish.
Make sure to stay for the beautifully animated credit sequence.