The Popkorn Junkie :: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

      Family films are probably my least favorite genre. The "Harry Potter" series has managed to totally keep my interest, but it appeals to adults just as much as it appeals to children. That is exactly what "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" tries desperately to do on more than one occasion. For starters, who doesn't love Jim Carrey? Kids love him because he is the best physical comedian of all-time. Adults love him because he can handle both dramatic roles as well as comedic roles -- the two polar opposites would be "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "The Majestic". As the villainous Count Olaf, Carrey is more over-the-top than we have seen him since his pet detective days, and the outcome is a little mixed. I hate to say this, but Carrey might have been 'too' over-the-top with this performance. Or maybe he just needed to find a personality trait and stick with it. Whatever the reason, "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" is a decent family film, but certainly no "Harry Potter" rival.

      Liam Aiken, Emily Browning, and Kara Hoffman star as Klaus, Violet, and Sunny Baudelaire, three children of wealthy parents who find themselves orphaned after a mysterious fire that takes the lives of their beloved parents. With immediate relatives, the family attorney Mr. Poe (Timothy Spall) takes them to live with their mysterious and tyrannical cousin Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), a wannabe stage actor who wants the kids for the sole purpose of inheriting their parents enormous fortune. However, after he tries to 'off' them, they move on to live with their quirky Uncle Monty (Billy Connolly), a reptile expert who wants to take the children with him to Peru. Enter Count Olaf once more, who makes that totally impossible. The next relative they meet is their overly cautious Aunt Josephine (Meryl Streep), who is afraid of virtually everything in her house, though her house itself is probably more dangerous than anything that lies inside its walls. Once again, enter Count OIaf, and the climax of the film, which involves a bizarre form of non-incestuous marriage, a Dustin Hoffman cameo, and an ending that has 'sequel' written all over it.

      The most enjoyable aspect of this film is the film itself -- it is beautiful to watch. Director Brad Silberling has crafted a film that takes the best of Tim Burton and the best of Jim Henson and throws it all together for one big fantastic world of fantasy, with just a hint of reality thrown in for measure. Take, for instance, the dark and barren landscapes. Normally, they would seem depressing and gloomy. Here, they seem vibrant and alive with energy. This film really looks like Tim Burton designed the costumes, while Jim Henson designed the sets. After films like "City of Angels" and the amazing "Moonlight Mile", it amazed me that Brad Silberling was able to pull this kind of fantasy out of thin air. I was skeptical, originally, when I heard that Silberling was taking on this project, but I see now that he was the perfect choice as director.

      As for the children, what an exceptional job they do. Liam Aiken is standout as Klaus -- he has a bright career ahead of him...he's not quite got the Daniel Radcliffe enthusiasm, but he certainly has the look and the talent. Emily Browning also shows her abilities as Violet...a role that I assumed would have went to someone like Dakota Fanning. The cameos were also a pleasant surprise...Catherine O'Hara as a friendly justice of the peace, Cedric the Entertainer as a naive detective, and a fantastic ensemble as Count Olaf's acting troupe -- Luis Guzman, Jane Adams, Jennifer Coolidge, Craig Ferguson. As for Dustin Hoffman, he just pops up out of nowhere as a theatrical critic and does very little -- very unnecessary cameo, but still nice to see him pop up. And, wondeful, wonderful Meryl. I love how she is starting to take chances in her career -- branching out into comedies, family fare, and the realm of television. She truly is the greatest actress of the past twenty years.

      And, then there is Jim Carrey. As Count Olaf, he combines aspects from every other character he has portrayed -- Ace Ventura can be seen in the sudden and unexpected scenes of comedy; the Grinch can be seen all over the place; The Cable Guy in the darker and more mature situations (i.e. The Count's brief profanity); and, even The Mask, with the screwball antics and exaggerated facial expressions that only Jim Carrey can provide. However, I felt a lot of this was unneeded. I couldn't tell if Count Olaf was really a dastardly son-of-a-bitch, or just a goofball. Carrey played the scenes of villainy a little too strongly, and then did the humor a little too slapstick. You can't have the character smack a child across the face and then make him pretend to be a raptor and receive laughs from the audience. We don't root for child beaters. Well, except for "Mommie Dearest".

      As a whole, "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" is a pretty good family film. Don't expect it to break any box office records or turn into the next book franchise, but the actors and the director do a decent enough job to warrant at least one sequel. And, who knows -- maybe it will be a masterpiece. I think most children will find this thoroughly enjoyable, though some of the parts might be a little scary for them...I know the child abuse and the eels were a little frightening for me...and be careful of your wits during Uncle Monty's snake scenes...yuck. So, take advantage of the holiday season and go see this with the young'uns...odds are that you will get more of the jokes than they will. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily...just as long as they have plenty of imagery to keep them entertained...and, believe me, they will.

-- Billy Ray ( 2 1/2 out of 4 pops )

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