I admit that I haven't read the books (although now I want to), but after binge-watching the series and decided to watch the 2004 movie to compare with it (and I never thought I'd say this but - Jim Carrey falls flat next to NPH's performance!) - and now I feel I am entitled to have a legit opinion! Some reviewers have written that NPH is just revisiting his role as Barney Stinson all over again. That may or may not be true (I'm not going to argue that point), but if that's true - I believe that it was probably because of his role as Barney Stinson that he was chosen to play Count Olaf in the first place, so to revisit some of Barney's personality traits make total sense! I took the liberty to read a little about Count Olaf's character description (based on the books) and it seems like he's spot on! Watching the series I kind of get a "Harry Potteresque"-feeling, which I personally like. It's partly dark (given the environment, the plot and the backstory), and yet it's surprisingly light as well, which I personally think is a perfect combination. I don't think I would've enjoyed this series so much without its light touches every now and then. It would quickly get too depressing to watch. I love the costumes and I found myself laughing at the most silly things - silly things that would not have worked if they were portrayed differently. The movie for instance, lacked so much information that it came across as rushed and abruptly interrupted (maybe that's the problem, and not Jim Carrey's performance). The series however, made a lot more sense to me. I preferred Monty in the series for instance, as I feel that I got to know him better there. I was actually sad to see him die in the series - in the movie - not so much. Series's Josephine was hilarious! I love Meryl Streep, but same thing happened here, her part in the movie was so quickly over that I didn't get to know her well enough to care about her either. I am not complaining over their performance's, just explaining why I think this story works better as a series than a movie.
I love the bittersweet tone of the world, like I said, I wouldn't have enjoyed it if it was pure darkness. I got so frustrated over the "cluelessness" and neglect of every single adult who wouldn't listen to the the children (mostly Poe who seems to suffer from bad eyesight as well as complete lack of intelligence!)!!! It was however, despite all absurdness and exaggeration, a pretty good interpretation of how most adults act around children in real life. The tragic events surrounding these children are in deed tragic and I read that some reviewers seem to think that the series doesn't do a good job delivering that feeling. I partly agree, but I think that's a positive thing. It's the irony behind it all which makes this series unique and tragic in the first place - the main tragedy is still there - but it's not the center of the story. I personally think it would've been boring if it was. I don't particularly like series (or movies) that focus only on one thing.
Now back to the acting! The kids are perfect in their roles! I hope to see a lot of them in the future as well. I also hope that they don't replace Sunny as so many series do, because that baby is adorable!!!
The story may seem repetitive to some people, but I keep getting the feeling that there's a deeper message within the story as it unravels. Some reviewers seem to be annoyed over the shows' silliness, but I read review's of the books online and it seems that the books do in fact share this trait. It makes sense since they are children's books after all. It doesn't mean that some adults - like me for instance (who are likely still in touch with their inner child) - cannot enjoy it! Because I love it! Had I watched it with my "grown-up"-eyes, I might not have liked it so much, as I wouldn't have given it a fair treatment. I rate this a 10, because I love the set, I love the acting, I love the plot and I think it's perfectly balanced.
I don't recommend it to everyone, only to those who are willing to watch this with innocent eyes.
I love the bittersweet tone of the world, like I said, I wouldn't have enjoyed it if it was pure darkness. I got so frustrated over the "cluelessness" and neglect of every single adult who wouldn't listen to the the children (mostly Poe who seems to suffer from bad eyesight as well as complete lack of intelligence!)!!! It was however, despite all absurdness and exaggeration, a pretty good interpretation of how most adults act around children in real life. The tragic events surrounding these children are in deed tragic and I read that some reviewers seem to think that the series doesn't do a good job delivering that feeling. I partly agree, but I think that's a positive thing. It's the irony behind it all which makes this series unique and tragic in the first place - the main tragedy is still there - but it's not the center of the story. I personally think it would've been boring if it was. I don't particularly like series (or movies) that focus only on one thing.
Now back to the acting! The kids are perfect in their roles! I hope to see a lot of them in the future as well. I also hope that they don't replace Sunny as so many series do, because that baby is adorable!!!
The story may seem repetitive to some people, but I keep getting the feeling that there's a deeper message within the story as it unravels. Some reviewers seem to be annoyed over the shows' silliness, but I read review's of the books online and it seems that the books do in fact share this trait. It makes sense since they are children's books after all. It doesn't mean that some adults - like me for instance (who are likely still in touch with their inner child) - cannot enjoy it! Because I love it! Had I watched it with my "grown-up"-eyes, I might not have liked it so much, as I wouldn't have given it a fair treatment. I rate this a 10, because I love the set, I love the acting, I love the plot and I think it's perfectly balanced.
I don't recommend it to everyone, only to those who are willing to watch this with innocent eyes.