A Series of Unfortunate Events

[The Phantom]

I thought a thread on this movie should be started since I've found numerous people to enjoy it. What does everyone think about the movie? Personally, it was one of the best movies produced by Nickelodeon ever. It wasn't childish, it wasn't too serious, and it had a dark mood to it the whole time. :)

[Opera Ghost]

I never saw the film but I've heard about it - apparently it was the first three books put into one film? I think they should've stuck to one book, but then - I haven't seen the film, have I?! :p

OG

[cinty]

I really like that movie. I like those books too.

[The Phantom]

They put the first three books into the movie, Bad Beginnings, The Reptile Room, and one other that I can't remember specifically what the name is right now. There is like... 20 books in the series, so they did an injustice really to the extent of the whole matter regarding all of the information required. If they had done the first one then the movie might not have been interesting by itsself. ;)

[Opera Ghost]

Originally posted by The Phantom
They put the first three books into the movie, Bad Beginnings, The Reptile Room, and one other that I can't remember specifically what the name is right now. There is like... 20 books in the series, so they did an injustice really to the extent of the whole matter regarding all of the information required. If they had done the first one then the movie might not have been interesting by itsself. ;)

Wide Window. And there are 13 books - because 13 is an unlucky number, for those who are superstitiuous. My cousin said the film was okay, but they went off topic & did loads about new stuff rather than the stuff in the books..I dunno, I didn't see it of course.

OG

[The Phantom]

When I save up a little money I’m going to go get a few of the books at the bookstore nearby; they have them for like 10 dollars each, and I like buying books rather than checking them out so I can take as long as I like. But back on the movie, I thought all the actors did excellent jobs in their roles. Though he brought comic relief to the movie, Jim Carrey was sort of an odd pick to play in a movie with basically British children.

[IamErik771]

I rather liked this film. I have read the first three books (searching for the rest), so I basically knew the story. To answer O.G.'s question, the books are rather short, so you'd probably have to use more than one to make a feature-length film. Though a TV miniseries wouldn't have been too bad either. ;) The Baudelaire children, Violet (Emily Browning), Klaus (Liam Aiken), and Sunny (Kara & Shelby Hoffman) were very good. They were able to truly act like they were family. Jim Carrey was typically hysterical and strange, and I think he made a good Count Olaf. I also thought that the way the film started, with the "Littlest Elf" segment, was pure genius. Although it did deviate from the books quite a bit (especially at the end), I enjoyed it.

I am also inclined to think that either the director or Lemony Snicket (real name: Daniel Handler) may be a Phan. There are at least 3 POTO references in the film. (1) Count Olaf can be seen reading a magazine with Lon Chaney in Erik makeup on the cover. (2) Aunt Josephine warns, "Beware the chandelier! If it falls, it will impale you." (3) In the "wedding" scene, the bride's escort is dressed in a dual-gender outfit (one side is a tux, other side is a gown) that resembles the outfit of one of the Masquerade dancers in the stage version. :mask: Or they could just be very convenient coincidences... NOT! :D

[The Phantom]

I never noticed those points you made right there James. I remember that Count Olaf was reading some sort of magazine that was old from an opera of the past or something. But those coinicidences are too much to prove that the director might be a Phantom Phan.

The books are short indeed. I picked up a book and looked at it for a few minutes a few months ago at Books a Million. It was like... 80 some pages long, which is very short compared to other novels.

[Always_Erik_Fan]

Personally, I've adored this movie since I first watched it! (Saw it in theaters twice; now own on DVD) I honestly don't think they could have put one book into a film, because the books are a little too short for that in my opinion. I thought they did a very good job with sticking to the themes of the books (though I've not read "Reptile Room" yet) as I interperted them. I enjoy this movie about half as much as Phantom, but I do think it's an EXCELLENT movie!

[Melody0798]

In my personal opinion, I didn't like this movie at all. I had read all of the books and was a bit dissappointed at the movie. It was a very good movie if you hadn't have read the books, or were looking for a different take on them, but I had envisioned it completely different then what it ended up being. But that's just my opinion.

[AAW0487]

I thought it was a pretty good movie. Though I think I should have read the books first! I enjoyed it! I can't believe how the uncle kept coming back though. He was a little bit psycho in the head..or a lot! But it was a pretty good movie.

[THeFaCeiNTHeMaSK]

I didn't care for it, I've read all the books (and I'm anxiously waiting for the final book to come out) and I don't think the film did justice to the books. I wish that they could've stuck more to the storyline, because I didn't like the ending or the fact that they clumped the three books together. I can see how they would have to for time, but in doing so, I think it left out a lot of stuff. The stuff that unfolds in the later books.

But that's just my oppinion...

[getzell]

They have to make a second movie I love it ive seen it twice

[Pyromaniac]

I personally liked the movie, though I have never read the books, and they should definitely make a second one! They did a really good character casting too!

I also liked how they did all of the scenes and I'm a fan of any movie/book series that involves snakes and fire XD.

[MystMoonstruck]

I haven't read the books, so perhaps that's why I found the movie tough to get through. I tried it a second time and didn't care much more for it.

Why is it that films aimed at children tend to have over-the-top performances--as if the kids won't "get" it?! Hammy can be fun, but many actors/actresses seem to forget everything they seemed to know about acting.

Perhaps I would get into the spirit more if I read the novels, which I'm uncertain that I ever will. Sometimes, a novel can't be translated; most films fail to capture the magic of the book. For example: I sort of like "The Princess Bride" as a film, but it's a very pale shadow of the novel.

[masquerading rose]

I read the first and second books But that's it.They didn't really grab my attention like other books have. The movie was okay. I'm not a big Jim Carrey fan, but it was okay.

[Hidden Away]

Wide Window. And there are 13 books - because 13 is an unlucky number, for those who are superstitiuous. My cousin said the film was okay, but they went off topic & did loads about new stuff rather than the stuff in the books..I dunno, I didn't see it of course.

OG

They some what did go off topic, but it was really good. I only wished they had made individual movies; if so they might have not diverged so much and they may have not only made one.

[xXphantomaddictedXx]

I liked the movie a lot, but maybe that is because I'm a fan of Jim Carrey. Also, for those who have seen the movie, did you notice any POTO references? Because there are several, if you look hard enough.

[Hidden Away]

Actually no I didn't notice. Could you list a few. When I wanted and read the series, I wasn't such a big fan of Phantom of the Opera. It was just a piano song that I was playing at City Recital...

[The Countess]

I know a Phantom reference! When Count Olaf is reading the newspaper, you can see Lon Chaney as the Phantom. It's pretty cool. I just about died when I saw it.

As for the movie, I read the books before I watched it, but I thought that it was pretty impressive that they crammed 3 books into one movie and it still made sense. My only qualm is that they never continued the series and it left a lot of blank spots for those you watched the movie.

[Hidden Away]

I'm going to rent and watch the movie just because you guys are killing me to watch it again and find them all! :)

The newspaper thing is going to make me pull my hair if I can't find it...I need to watch more movies with people so they point out other things that I don't see.