In this screen
adaptation of a series of popular dark children’s novels, a trio of
young newly orphaned children look for happiness and security, but
continually have to pull together to fend off their guardian, the
greedy and conniving Count Olaf, who looks for ways to take possession
of their inheritance.
CRITIQUE
This film entered
the theaters with a marketing problem: a somewhat limited target
audience. Most young ones would be afraid of the darkly sadistic
“Unfortunate Events” taking place on the screen, and the majority of
older children have moved on to teen novels. Most adults would only
see this while accompanying their “tweeners.” Perhaps that is partly
why this film was unable to make back its budget in Christmas ’04
domestic box office receipts. Author Daniel Sandler’s (a.k.a Lemony
Snicket) series of children’s novels have been wildly successful, so
who am I to quibble with the formula, but we all know that the
cinematic take of what unfolds in a reader’s mind can be turn out to
be unsatisfying at best.
There is so much to
admire here, but the film ultimately fails. It was deservedly
nominated in four Oscar categories – costume design, art direction,
music, and makeup (for which it won). The three Baudelaire children
are orphaned at the outset, and all are perfectly cast. Jim Carrey is
wonderful as Count Olaf, the diabolically comical and self-important
uncle who sees the children as a disposable way to their fortune. The
supporting cast, including Meryl Streep as a wonderfully phobic Aunt
Josephine and Timothy Spall as the hastily professional Mr. Poe, are
perfect. Jude Law lends respectable upper-crust quality as the
narrating Snicket, guiding the movie along. The closing credit
animation is a wonderful collage of Edward Gorey-esque paper cut
cartooning.
The movie’s problem
lies primarily in its tone. Director Brad Siberling (Moonlight Mile,
City of Angels, Casper)
for the most part stays true to Snicket’s dark comedy, but it just
doesn’t elicit many laughs on the big screen. Carrey’s ad libbing is
always good for a few chuckles, but when he slaps young Klaus
Baudelaire across the face early in the film, the audience’s vesting
in his comic persona all but vanishes. Olaf’s over-the-top plotting
for the children’s demise is clichéd and nonthreatening. The slap is
in-your-face physical violence, and it crosses an important threshold.
Though this was, in fact, in the Snicket novel, on screen it elicits
more of a gasp. Baudelaire toddler Sunny’s subtitled baby babble
misses the mark at cutesy punch lines. Unfortunate Events ultimately
devolves into a string of gorgeously rendered and special
effects-laden set pieces that leaves the viewer emotionally vapid.
Even Cedric the Entertainer and an uncredited cameo by Dustin Hoffman
can’t save the day.
A Series of
Unfortunate Events is mostly eye candy, with very little substance.
THE VIDEO
Unfortunate Events
has been transferred to DVD in its widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The
transfer retains the film’s brilliant detail, and the special effects
and meticulous set design are more easily observed with repeated
viewing.
THE AUDIO
The Dolby Digital
5.1 takes full advantage of the rear surround speakers, especially
evident in the hurricane scene in Aunt Josephine’s cliff house. French
and Spanish audio is available, along with English subtitles.
THE EXTRAS
Paramount
pulled out all the bells and whistles for this two-disc edition. Disc
One includes two audio commentaries. Director Brad Silberling
explains the extravagant set design and keeping faithful to the
original stories. Kids will like the second commentary features
Silberling and Daniel Handler in character as Lemony Snicket. I found
his repetitive dialog grating. It would have been nice to hear Jim
Carrey’s take, but one can’t get greedy.
Also included on
the first disc are the obligatory deleted scenes and outtakes
(11 of the former, 5 of the latter), and three featurettes. One
of them, an interactive Olaf, is composed of a four-way split screen,
each representing a different Jim Carrey character in the movie, and
they are funnier than anything in the film.
Disc Two is
comprised of five featurettes on the technical aspects of making the
film, four featurettes solely on special effects (including two
amazing spots about making a robotic and CGI Sunny), two featurettes
on sound, and three still photo galleries.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Kids will enjoy
this movie and all the goodies included on this two-DVD set. Though
there is a lot to admire, I believe it ultimately misses the mark.
