|
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) 6.8
Ratings:
6.8/10 from 104,956 users
Metascore: 62/100
Reviews: 583 user | 181 critic | 37 from Metacritic.com When a massive fire kills their parents, three children are delivered to the custody of cousin and stage actor Count Olaf, who is secretly plotting to steal their parents' vast fortune. Director:Brad Silberling |
| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
Adventure
|
Comedy
|
Family
Director:
Tim Burton
Stars:
Johnny Depp,
Freddie Highmore,
David Kelly
Adventure
|
Comedy
|
Family
Director:
Alain Chabat
Stars:
Gérard Depardieu,
Christian Clavier,
Jamel Debbouze
Stuart Little
(1999)
Animation
|
Adventure
|
Comedy
Director:
Rob Minkoff
Stars:
Michael J. Fox,
Geena Davis,
Hugh Laurie
Adventure
|
Comedy
|
Family
Director:
Claude Zidi
Stars:
Christian Clavier,
Gérard Depardieu,
Roberto Benigni
Nim's Island
(2008)
Adventure
|
Comedy
|
Family
Directors:
Jennifer Flackett,
Mark Levin
Stars:
Abigail Breslin,
Jodie Foster,
Gerard Butler
Stuart Little 2
(2002)
Animation
|
Adventure
|
Comedy
Director:
Rob Minkoff
Stars:
Michael J. Fox,
Geena Davis,
Hugh Laurie
Ramona and Beezus
(2010)
Adventure
|
Comedy
|
Family
Director:
Elizabeth Allen
Stars:
Joey King,
Selena Gomez,
John Corbett
How to Train Your Dragon
(2010)
Animation
|
Adventure
|
Comedy
Directors:
Dean DeBlois,
Chris Sanders
Stars:
Jay Baruchel,
Gerard Butler,
Craig Ferguson
Shrek
(2001)
Animation
|
Adventure
|
Comedy
Directors:
Andrew Adamson,
Vicky Jenson
Stars:
Mike Myers,
Eddie Murphy,
Cameron Diaz
Shrek 2
(2004)
Animation
|
Adventure
|
Comedy
Directors:
Andrew Adamson,
Kelly Asbury, and 1 more credit »
Stars:
Mike Myers,
Eddie Murphy,
Cameron Diaz
Monsters, Inc.
(2001)
Animation
|
Adventure
|
Comedy
Directors:
Pete Docter,
David Silverman, and 1 more credit »
Stars:
John Goodman,
Billy Crystal,
Mary Gibbs
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jim Carrey | ... | ||
| Liam Aiken | ... | ||
| Emily Browning | ... | ||
| Kara Hoffman | ... | ||
| Shelby Hoffman | ... | ||
| Jude Law | ... |
Lemony Snicket
(voice)
|
|
| Timothy Spall | ... | ||
| Catherine O'Hara | ... | ||
| Billy Connolly | ... | ||
| Meryl Streep | ... | ||
| Luis Guzmán | ... |
Bald Man
(as Luis Guzman)
|
|
| Jamie Harris | ... | ||
| Craig Ferguson | ... | ||
| Jennifer Coolidge | ... | ||
| Jane Adams | ... | ||
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire are three intelligent young children who receive terrible news that their parents have died in a fire and have left them an enormous fortune not to be used until the eldest child is of age. When they are sent to live with Count Olaf, a greedy distant relative, they soon learn he is trying to steal their fortune for himself. Written by jackwhiteyouremyhero
Taglines:
Ruinning Christmas December 17. See more »Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG for thematic elements, scary situations and brief language | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
17 December 2004 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Lemony Snicket See more »Box Office
Budget:
$140,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend:
$361,125 (Japan) (6 May 2005)Gross:
$1,918,915 (Japan) (13 May 2005)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
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, suspicious fires, carnivorous leeches, Italian food and secret organizations, then stay, as I retrace each and every one...
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Count Olaf's car is a 1960 Imperial Crown stretched limousine. See more »Goofs
When Count Olaf asks why the children haven't cooked him roast beef, he is standing on the ground in front of his acting troupe. In the next shot, about a second later, he is shown jumping down from the table. (This is due to cutting an extended scene where Olaf gets onto the table and ruins the dinner they have prepared.) See more »Quotes
[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, suspicious fires, carnivorous leeches, Italian food and secret organizations, then stay, as I retrace each and every one...
See more »
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.