A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019) User Reviews

I'm glad I ignored Lemony Snicket's warnings

[lars_ · 8/10 · 12 January 2017]

In this 'golden age of television', the higher quality shows are usually the darker, more thought provoking series (such as Breaking Bad, Mr Robot and Westworld). However, in the case of A Series Of Unfortunate Events, this deep, dark tone is tweaked to create a more light-hearted show that does not come at the expense of the quality. The series lies in between 'adult' and 'kids' TV genres, creating a strange, funny show for the whole family. Don't let the forgettable 2004 movie scare you off, because the series gets right what the movie got wrong. From what I have seen of the series so far, there is a colorful, but dark sense of humour, some great acting, and well crafted dialogue that make the series worthy of a watch. The longer TV episode format allows for a more complete story, with one book spanning two episodes (instead of the movie cramming in three books). It is a lot more nuanced than the movie for this reason, with extra scenes and dialogue filling in the backstory and adding depth to the characters. Yes the show is absurd; yes sometimes there are things that might make you question why you are watching it. It is definitely for a certain audience, but at the end of the day this series of unfortunate events is not so unfortunate after all.

Dreadfully Entertaining

[Jaymuller · 9/10 · 13 January 2017]

The dreadfully entertaining story of the fate of Violet and Klaus Baudelaire after suffering the tragic loss of their parents and home to a mysterious fire. The riveting repartee (salted with subtle ironies, peppered with alliteration, and seasoned with astute observations) felicitous music score, and brilliant scenery is outdone only by the carefully crafted storytelling and performances that really cook! Patrick Warburton, as Lemony Snicket, is dolefully monotonic yet drearily expressive. Neil Patrick Harris, as Count Olaf, gives a talented portrayal of a talentless actor of dubious motivation. Malina Weissman and Louis Hynes, as Violet and Klaus, deserve honorable mention. All in all, a thoroughly well done show. However, if you are chagrined by dire circumstances, dismayed by unfair situations, or saddened by unhappy endings, perhaps you should take to heart Lemony Snicket's introductory caveat. Caveat means warning.

The adaptation we deserve

[mistoppi · 9/10 · 16 January 2017]

This show is everything the original movie should've been. The original movie is not bad, but the thing is, it doesn't have exactly the charm the books had. Reading the books after seeing the movie was like sun shining through the clouds after a while, because the writing in the books is so charming and clever and while it's all "this is a tragic tale" it's also not at all serious. The movie was like a weird shadow of that. Still great, still so very very unique, but something was definitely missing.

The cast of the movie was brilliant, but somehow this show managed to top that. While Jim Carrey was amazing as Count Olaf, Neil Patrick Harris is the real deal. He can be that typical over the top, funny villain that's typical for children's books and shows, but he can also be weirdly scary. Carrey didn't have that. One of my favourite members of the cast is Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket. He has this amazing voice, and his whole persona feels more Lemony Snicket than Jude Law in the movie. Everyone is so talented and so incredibly beautiful.

If there's something that makes this even greater than the cast and the writing, it's the cinematography and the music. Visually this show is astonishing, it's dark like it's supposed to be, but it's detailed and wonderfully surreal? Not realistic? I'm not sure whats' the right word to use, but the atmosphere is like for the dark fairy tale - which is exactly what this show is. The music is enchanting, and the theme sung by Neil Patrick Harris just gets stuck in your head. And the song at the very end of the season? Hauntingly beautiful.

Only thing I can complain about is how soon the season was over, but that's not really a complaint. Shorter seasons are better. Quality over quantity, when it comes to TV shows.

Also ever since I saw the movie I've been digging the "don't watch / read this" vibe the series has going on. And in the TV show the theme song is basically "don't watch this show". But don't listen to Lemony Snicket, watch the show. It's worth it.

My cup of tea

[lisadewaal-98104 · 10/10 · 1 November 2018]

This show is either your cup of tea, or it is not. The expression 'your cup of tea' here has nothing to do with hot beverages, but is rather used as a metaphor. Tea comes in countless flavours, which is perfectly normal considering that there are countless types of people. And if you don't like a certain flavour, you don't like it.

Same goes for this show. If it's not your cup of tea, it's not. But if it is your cup of tea, it is a BIG one. I have not enjoyed a show this much since... ever. Let's just say it's the greatest cup of tea I've ever had.

The best mistake I've ever made is picking up the first book of A Series of Unfortunate Events three years ago and reading it. I got so into this series I read every single book in a few months, and I got so invested all I could wish for was a TV series or a movie covering every book.

When I watched the movie, I was disappointed, although I should have expected as much from a 90 minute movie containing the three first books. Especially since the rest of the books were so, so good.

And then I started to hear whispers. Rumors, even, about Netflix creating a new show called "A Series of Unfortunate Events" which would cover every book... and I was figuratively jumping for joy because I was so happy.

The first season was truly a vague, fabulous display that was, I daresay, even BETTER than the books. And the second season... Don't even get me started, for I would still be here tomorrow documenting why it was so amazing and satisfying to watch. I truly hope season three will be a blast as well.

Knowing the details of this story's end, I am not curious about the ending at all. But I am excited about what's to come, and how many more musical songs will be sang before this tragic tale comes to an end.

Do I recommend this series? That I cannot answer, for I do not know if you, dear reader, prefer black or green tea or don't drink tea at all.

Absolutely amazing

[lookattheowls · 10/10 · 1 April 2018]

Let me start by saying I grew up with the book series, so I was prepared to (at least partially) dislike the tv series under the notion that "The book is always better". Well, I was delightfully surprised by the quality of the show: first of all, the casting is excellent --something that rarely happens with book adaptations. The black humor of the books is also flawlessly conveyed and even enhanced, I cannot recommend this show enough! It is very well-paced, beautifully shot and perfectly adapted for the now adult fans of the books to enjoy the story once again. The second season is even better than the first, which was also a great success. It deservess a 10/10 rating, I'd rate it even higher if I could!

New to this Unfortunate Series

[jvansickle78-81-999749 · 8/10 · 16 January 2017]

I have never read the books....nor have I seen the Jim Carrey movie. So, when I saw this come up on Netflix, I wasn't very interested.

Then, I decided to check it out...with my kids. Wow.... I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thought NPH was great...and loved the kids.

Then I decided to check out the first book on Kindle, since it was on sale. I am totally surprised how similar...almost verbatim.... the series is to the book. I think that is wonderful.

I've seen comments about CGI.... the only thing that really distracted me was some shots where they digitally put Sunny's face in. I believe that only happened in one scene.

I was careful not to include spoilers (but beware just in case - some people are more sensitive than others)

[aleyro-89845 · 10/10 · 15 January 2017]

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.

Surprising, Stunning and Seriously Enjoyable!

[renskedevlieg-695-979649 · 7/10 · 19 January 2017]

Oh my god, I'm so happy they decided to make a series out of those books!

When I was a kid I loved the books, they where very easy to read, funny, dark and different then anything else out there. When they made a movie about it I was excited of course, but it didn't turn out very well in my opinion. I didn't like Jim Carey and it just didn't do any justice to the books. When I heard they announced a complete series, I got excited again (yes, I always try to stay positive). Because for me it meant; more time for the story, different actors and another change to be as funny, dark and unique as the book.

Jackpot! They nailed it this time! The humor only was a hundred times more weird and quirky. That was the thing I hoped for most. I think the actors do a great job and they really understand the characters and what they're going through. They finally take the time to tell the story and make everything look as beautiful as I imagined it as a kid. Because the story is very unreal you shouldn't expect anything serious, but you can't do anything else then sympathize with those poor kids. I love how they start out pretty clueless and end up taking control of the shitty situation they're in and try to find the answers themselves.

I'm not going to spoil any of the story, you just have to see it for yourself. I would really recommend it if you're not up to something serious, but if your really want a different experience in storytelling.

The unfortunate story of the Baudelaire orphans seems to have finally gotten a worthy adaptation.

[oslun · 9/10 · 13 January 2017]

The show stands on it's own, a wonderful silly and atmospheric piece of work. It has well written jokes and a good story line. It will take you on an incredible adventure as we get to follow the Baudelaire orphans and their beloved count Olaf. It has a bit of dark but yet silly humor, and all the actors give an outstanding performance! There were very few flaws and one thing that did bother was from time to time the jokes were a bit dry. But most of the time it was an absolutely wonderful and hysterical adventure! I can proudly recommend this Netflix original to anyone who wants a bit a of a different story or just wants to watch a great show with laughter and excitement through out! To all those who were a fan of the books I can say that you will enjoy each and every episode! 9/10

I really want to like this show, but its repetitiveness is a bit too much

[gcerda88 · 6/10 · 31 March 2018]

I want to like this show. I really do. And I know you want to have this show close to the books, but my god if I have to see another episode where no one can tell who the bloody hell Count Olaf is I am seriously going to have a stroke. This show is not for people with high anxiety and just can't deal with shows playing off on your disbelief. Each episode is basically the same. The kids are great, but I can't keep watching the show like this. I just can't take it.

This show is a blast

[DarkLights95 · 9/10 · 13 January 2017]

Just finished marathoning through all 8 episodes today, and that was super fun! Neil Patrick Harris was obviously the highlight of the show, as well as Mr Poe, the narrator, Sunny, oh hell pretty much every character here was portrayed well!

The comedy is always there, even when something more serious happens (like a character murdered or something) there is still some funny joke or line said that's always lightening up the mood. The visuals were great as well. Sure some of the effects seemed fake, but overall the scenarios and general cgi were pretty good, way better than most shows on television.

Ending of the season 1 was left kind of opened and unsolved, hope they pick it up for a season 2 otherwise it will suck.

At times the show felt a little dragged out and longer than it should have. Some episodes could have easily been 25 minutes but instead ran for 47 minutes and thus although were still funny, you can still feel like they just kept putting in filler content in order to feel longer.

This isn't a show to watch and expect intensity or heart felt drama. This is a show you watch if you like quick pun jokes and just something really fresh, as there's no real TV show like it.

9/10 if the series continues.

An Absurd But Charming Romp

[hepheasteus · 14 January 2017]

This series is a masterful adaptation of a very fine display of absurdist literature. The writing was sharp and quick, and masterfully delivered by a wide cast of superb guest stars and recurring characters alike - the Baudelaires are a wonder to watch, and portray their characters perfectly. Neil Patrick Harris, in spite of my initial doubts, conveyed Olaf as a genuinely menacing failed (?) actor, mastering that grounded instability that Carrey failed to during his tenure, but also the characters Olaf finds himself portraying within the show - credit to the makeup department for making the handsome Neil Patrick Harris fit into a whole range of largely unflattering roles. Warburton as Snicket is also charming, well spoken and carries clearly a deep weight of sadness; the way he is molded into scenes and delivers the self aware warnings of horror and inconvenience feels melodramatic but works in the absurd retro-futuristic world he finds himself in.

The use of CGI is also great, as while it's hardly Hollywood level, its almost cartoon surrealism always gives you this sense you're watching a sick fairy tale, especially with the lighting. I found the set design to be absolutely marvelous, not just showing the money Netflix have thrown around, but also a great understanding of the vision of the original author - something that this newer adaptation holds over its predecessor; largely because it has the original author as part of its writing team. The show also weaves in so many plot threads from later on and references for book readers that even the greatest of fans feel they are witnessing something that incorporates all parts of the world that Handler has developed, with subtle references that can make this show a joy to dig deep into.

There are a few flaws, I shall admit. I found Sunny's actions late into episode 2 to be a little beyond my suspension of disbelief, and I felt that the prospect of escape could have been used to greater extent to lull the children into a tragic, dramatically ironic, sense of security in episode 3 (it would feel more thematically guided). The soundtrack also felt like many Hollywood soundtracks in the modern day, used for set-dressing rather than as a feature in of itself, though still adds weight to every scene.

I quite liked the opening theme song and enjoyed the quick synopses at the start of each episode which never feel as though they give too much away. I also really like the unexpected musical piece which while caught me off guard, when I finally said "Is that so?" and just went with the flow, I really appreciated the way it acted as a bookend.

I fully understand complaints about how the show may seem jarring to new viewers, especially if you don't quite understand what the source material is actually like. I can empathize with people who think the characters are ridiculous and unbelievable, that the sets seem preposterous and the dialogue frankly unrealistic. However watching it as a book reader, who understands that the books are almost a satire of themselves - a work of meta fiction that I imagine can be as divisive marmite - I found myself loving every moment of it; going all in on this world is a must if you want it to sweep you so wonderfully away.

I also found the pacing to be far better suited to the two hour long format per book. It shows a level of devotion to the source material that essentially four movies would be created for four books, and it pays off by providing ample time for characters to develop, mysteries to unfold and the adaptation to be more faithful.

All in all, for all of its flaws, Netflix's adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events is a loyal adaptation with quirks of its own, that understands its absurdity and embraces it wholeheartedly, and creates the wondrous level of genuine charm the films could never truly emulate. It's a fun, tragic, witty, self-aware, emotional, alluring and xylophone series as a standalone and I cannot recommend it enough. I hope there will be a next season (it's in the works, I'm told) and I hope it is a strong as this series was.

(P.S. I love Rhys Darby's delivery, as Charles, of the word partner)

Deliciously dark events

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 30 December 2020]

Loved the books when younger, am still fond of them now with only 'The End' not doing much for me ('The Slippery Slope' isn't a favourite either). The books do get criticised for being formulaic, or repetitive (though actually it did become less so from 'The Vile Village' onwards), and for the adult characters' stupidity, but just love the language and the juicy character of Count Olaf. Also think the 2004 film is a lot of fun and very well made and Jim Carrey's performance has fared better since first watching it.

This adaptation of 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' adapts all thirteen books, compared to the film that crammed in the first three books, a big undertaking and must have been quite daunting. While it is not a completely perfect version with a few downsides and a few episodes could have been better, it is nonetheless very enjoyable, well made and very brave. As well as adapting all thirteen books, all thirteen adaptations (all but one, the exception being "The End", being in two parts) stick faithfully in tone and essence to the source material while putting enough of its own spin and touches on it. Big props for that.

'A Series of Unfortunate Events' started off very promisingly with the first season, which adapted the first four books 'The Bad Beginning', 'The Reptile Room', 'The Wide Window' and 'The Miserable Mill'. The tone is well established and it is a good mix of entertaining, in an absurdist, darkly humorous and quirky way, and dark. Part 1 of "The Bad Beginning' was understandably a little unsettled but with enough potential to it. "The Reptile Room" is the most consistent quality-wise of the adaptations, but the best overall episode was Part 2 of "The Miserable Mill".

Season 2, adapting the five books from 'The Austere Academy' and 'The Carnivorous Carnival', is an improvement, doing a great job re-establishing the tone and characters and building upon them. Really liked how the characters were fleshed out more and them and their relationships expanded more. It had the adaptation's best season opener (easily) in "The Austere Academy", and "The Hostile Hospital" and "The Carnivorous Carnival" were especially great. Found the season to be of consistent quality, with my least favourite being possibly "The Vile Village".

Less settled was Season 3 (adapting the rest of the books 'The Slippery Slope', 'The Grim Grotto', 'The Penultimate Peril' and 'The End'), with the only outstanding adaptation being the series' high point "The Penultimate Peril". "The End", abrupt and tacked on ending aside, also deserves credit for being an improvement on the source material as it actually does try to answer the loose ends by adding bits that did thankfully the opposite of distracting and the different side to Olaf rings true more. Hook-Handed Man's character development was one of the season's most striking. The weakest episode of the season by quite some way was "The Slippery Slope", particularly Part 1 which was the adaptation's weak link, which started it off shakily. It's above average still, but felt dull and bland and could have done with more tension and less of the (in this adaptation) too overdone humour.

Going onto the individual elements, there are individual elements that could have been done better. There are pacing issues at times, namely in "The Slippery Slope" and in some of "The Bad Beginning", Part 2 of "The Grim Grotto" was slightly rushed too. The narration/interjections did in some episodes fall into the traps of being overused, over-explanatory and not always necessary. We didn't always need to know that things were going to get worse when it was obvious already. It was though on the most part very entertaining, delivered in a wonderfully deadpan way by Patrick Warburton, and was very true to the narrative style of the books.

Most of the characters were great, but the one that didn't do anything for me from the very start and the series never properly did anything to solve it (other than being slightly tolerable in "The Penultimate Peril") was Mr Poe. A very insufferably irritating character (not just the ridiculously over the top coughing which came over as gimmicky), as well as insultingly inept and increasingly pointless as the series went on. K. Todd Freeman played him with no appeal whatsoever and felt out of place. The end of "The End" was as said abrupt and what was done to try and solve it felt tacked on.

There were a few other not so significant flaws, such as the failed attempt to make Mr Poe necessary in "The Vile Village" with his unconvincing chemistry with Eleanora, the sometimes uneven performance of Alfre Woodard as Aunt Josephine (mostly she was fine though), the ending of "The Carnivorous Carnival" not completely coming off, how the adults were continually so easily fooled by Count Olaf's disguises (some of them being blatantly obvious) and the underdeveloped subplot between Klaus and Fiona in "The Grim Grotto".

However, there were many great things. A major plus being the production values. It's beautifully and atmospherically photographed throughout and the settings have brilliant attention to detail and atmosphere. Uncle Monty's reptile room, Lake Lachrymose, the school that lives up to its austere name, the most unique penthouse one will ever see, the claustrophobic hospital corridors, the truly creepy carnival setting and Hotel Denouement being the standouts. Even the lighter look of "The End", symbolising the more hopeful tone and themes, works beautifully. The opening titles sequence is brilliantly designed and clever, while the music is quirky and haunting.

On the most part, the writing is very funny often and has emotional and tense moments (adhering very close to Snicket's prose), the poking fun at how hotels are run, the failures of justice and nature of the legalities in "The Penultimate Peril" being especially clever (particularly in Part 2). It is understandably a little patchy in "The Bad Beginning" and could have been balanced better in "The Slippery Slope" but it's fine otherwise. The storytelling is seldom less than compelling, the jeopardy moments having mostly urgency and tension (for examples Sunny's predicament in "The Grim Grotto" and Violet's in "The Hostile Hospital") and a great job is done making it entertaining and deliciously dark when needed, making even on paper slightly implausible premises like with "The Vile Village" just about work. It also makes a degree of effort trying to clear up any "plot holes" that the books had, like providing an explanation for how Count Olaf came to find them in "The Wide Window".

Well done too are the character writing and relationships. It was great to see characters expanded more in personality, even slighter characters are interesting. Count Olaf is a truly juicy character and the theatrical troupe after being unsure of them at first were both hilarious and creepy. Standouts in these regards, other than Olaf, are the character of Jacques (a scene stealer), the wonderfully strange dynamic between Olaf and Esme and the development for Hook-Handed Man in Season 3. Other than Freeman, had little issue with the performances and felt Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes and Presley Smith (Smith at her best was adorable and amusing) grew in confidence with each episode as the Baudelaires matured. Great to not see them treated like idiots either. Aasif Mandvi, Catherine O'Hara, Tony Hale, Roger Bart, Richard E. Grant, Beth Grant, Kitana Turnball and Sara Rue make a possible impression, and Patrick Warburton, Nathan Fillion, Lucy Punch and Usman Ally steal all their scenes.

Best of all is Neil Patrick Harris, giving the performance of a lifetime and along with the production values the main reason to see the series for. He is clearly having enormous fun without getting too silly or over the top and poses a genuine sinister threat in the later episodes (such as "The Hostile Hospital") without being too scary. This juicy but challenging role also gives Harris a chance to show off his many varied talents and plays to his strengths very well.

Summing up, doesn't completely succeed but is never a failure and great at its best. 7/10

A series of the same unfortunate event repeating itself.

[jacklittler-19012 · 1/10 · 11 April 2018]

I'm at season 2 episode 5 and I just cannot go on.

Kids go somewhere. Olaf tortures them. They escape. Kids go somewhere. Olaf wears different clothes and puts on an accent which every one believes. Olaf tortures kids. They escape. Kids go somewhere. Olaf wears different clothes and puts on an accent which every one believes. Olaf tortures kids. They escape. Kids go somewhere. Olaf wears different clothes and puts on an accent which every one believes. Olaf tortures kids. They escape.

This happens around 6 (? Ive lost count) times so far.

I don't know if this is a spoiler because I seem to be one of very few who seem capable of seeing just horrible this series is.

How this has go such good reviews is honestly beyond me.

Exceeded Expectations

[cnewsome-21673 · 10/10 · 13 January 2017]

I picked this for the dogs to watch (so they wouldn't feel alone and bark at every noise), but instead I sat and watched. It took me longer then I would like to admit, to see that Count Olaf is played by beloved Neil Patrick Harris. I thought the casting was *PERFECT* (a word I do not use often), and I found myself laughing during every episode. I can not write a review as worthy as I feel this series deserves. So I will sum my opinion of this artwork up in the next sentence. The TV series A Series of Unfortunate Events had perfect casting, great direction, amazing scenes, decent cgi, great plot line, humour, woe, and is all around a very well executed piece of work worth watching and awarding. Who ever is responsible for doing all this Thank You. It has been a while since I was impressed and so entertained by a TV series. PLEASE MAKE MORE!!

Good start to a bad beginning

[badmanlykme · 10/10 · 13 January 2017]

This show started off promising and then each episode got consistently better introducing new and kwerky characters, I personally enjoyed the 2004 adaptation and this has some sprinkles of that in this series with also whole heap of new things to be explored and as a first season it has delivered i would have liked a darker tone to be cast similar to the movie but its still enjoyable for the most part and the child performances really surprised me and I appricated there presence, Its definitely not for everyone but give a try and you might find yourself having a lot of fun with this series. HAVE A WATCH YOU MIGHT JUST LOVE IT!!

Just watch it

[KOOLAIDBRO · 9/10 · 13 January 2017]

Just finished episode one and man is it good. The actors and actresses are on point. Neil Patrick Harris is great as always. If anyone had ever told me Patrick Warburton narrating something was a good idea I would have told them they were crazy, but I would have been dead wrong. He is amazing for this series. Forgive me for not knowing the children's names, but I would be willing to bet that will soon change. They both steal scenes and will probably end up doing a lot of things. The scenery is dark and gloomy like a Tim Burton film. I have never never read the books or watched the movie so I have nothing to compare with. I'm hoping as the series continues it only gets better. So for now I give it a 9 which I do not hand out freely, so that's saying something. Strong opening. Watch it.

This series is actually good!!

[Gilles10392 · 9/10 · 13 January 2017]

I loved the first adaptation of the series (2004 movie) but this live action show is not bad at all. I think the atmosphere could be a tad darker specially if you compare it to the first adaptation. But then again the actors in the first film were a lot older, even the baby. At first i wasn't really feeling the acting from the brothers but that quickly changed.

I am very entertained with the characters now although i wish NPH was better at not being NPH if that makes sense. I don't get the Olaf vibe from him although he really tries. The series overall is pretty great but i just wish the creators would incorporate a darker tone in the next season(s).

A Very Boring Show.

[ItsAdam · 6/10 · 17 April 2018]

I made it to season 2 episode 2 and I can't watch anymore. Lets start with the acting, overall very good but It sometimes felt as if the person behind the camera was telling them to act so over the top that they are no humans anymore. This can work as the show is clearly go for over the top character but when "over the top" is there only character trait it kind of lose the personality of the character a little. The cinematography and editing was awesome in the show, the way a place the angle of the camera. It never over does the editing technique and work with the films visuals.

So on to the biggest problem with the film is how boring it is, the idea of a secret organisations through teenage/children eyes is cool but every episode is the same. Children get moved, Olaf finds them and watch disguise, they find out, show it to be Olaf and move to the next place. Yes, you do start to learn a few thing here and there but in the first 8 episode (season 1) you hardly anything but the end of it. In 10 episode I don't know why Olaf want them, just money but There a another family with money that he gets so?

The story really lets the show down and I have a feeling that this is because of the amount of episode that they have to fill, 8 episode in season 1 and10 episode in season 2.

Pensive Film Noir

[TeamRocket_Jessie · 10/10 · 13 January 2017]

The series is exactly like the books but with added backstories, Easter eggs, and a film noir look. My favorite character is Lemony Snicket and his deadpan, droll, dreary, sarcastic narrative style that is the hallmark of the books is front-and-center in the show (often delivered by him; sometimes his book lines are given to other characters in the show). The lines in the show are often verbatim and other times they are updated to be more progressive (ex. challenging gender norms) for this day-and-age. It is peppered with bizarre show tunes that are similar to the ones you hear in the audio books.

The show does a great job of showing the disconnect between the well-meaning children and aloof adults (both those who like kids and those who do not) who only think about themselves. The adults rant about their unfulfilled fantasies and obsess over grammar rules, oblivious to woes or suspicious behavior of others. Yet they are not one-dimensional. The Poe household is invitingly 1950s (the T.V. era where families were flawlessly perfect) to contrast the Baudelaire family literally being in ruin. The Poes, however, are not in such great shape either, since Mr. Poe is ill from working so much. Justice Strauss, a judge with a personal library of legal texts, cannot piece together what is going on right in front of her. She is too distracted by her lack of pride in her work. Even Mr. Snicket, who is researching the Baudelaires, sometimes shifts the conversation to lament his star-crossed love life. The adults, selfish as they may be, all have something important to say. The kids, innocent as they may be, all have something important to say.

Very fun and enjoyable experience

[zackhabs · 14 January 2017]

The new adaption of Lemony Snicket's a series of unfortunate events Has a lot of upside to it, with little to no downside. The energy Neil Patrick Harris brings to count Olaf is more of a playful yet serious nature, and he heads a very well bolstered cast, the acting of the children is very good, seems almost mature in their years in acting for being very young. The one hinge in this very well rounded cast, is Mr. Po, his character is the one dark spot on this show, his overall naive and somewhat child like unaccredited trust in every one of Count Olaf's goofy disguises, has played over too much and now has become somewhat of a disturbance to me, where it's almost like he just has complete ignorance too the children and just ignores their overall well being. When you get passed his flaws this show has very good writing and a very fun and playful set to it while adding in some darker yet appropriate darker scenes. An enjoyable experience to watch and it is the dark horse in Netflix's already bolstered lineup, it would be in your best interest to give this show a good shot, very happy and I hope to see a many more seasons of this fun show.

Close to the movie

[majidy_pam · 6/10 · 25 October 2020]

I watched b/c they kids were like able enough to compel the viewer, but the incompetent adults were annoying and got old. Not sure if I want to finish.

Reminded Me Why I Loved the Books

[nmagnolnia · 8/10 · 13 January 2017]

This was more than I could hope for in an adaptation of the series. I know some people were satisfied with the 2004 movie, but while I found it an entertaining watch i thought that it ultimately didn't have the same heart as the original series-- I grew up reading the books and part of what really stuck with me was that I felt it was the first series I read to treat the reader with respect (it didn't hurt that the narrative was directed immediately at the reader, but-- and this may not make much sense, so apologies-- it made me feel like I could have expectations of a writer, and hold the author to a standard of quality). I think we lost something in the movie when there was an exceedingly limited presence of the narrator, when my favorite parts of the books were the quotes where you're addressed directly.  Warburton was fine as Snicket-- I don't know how someone could have messed up a role like that, but he had a good presence on screen.  The music pieces with lyrics were cringe-worthy, though I found the final song entertaining.  The added subplots were extraordinary. They were entertaining, worked exceedingly well towards world building, and provided satisfying context for the Baudelaire's experiences that were, in the books, provided more vaguely through Snicket's non- diegetic  interactions with the reader. The twist in the seventh episode killed me-- I had jumped to the expected assumption about the two adventurer characters, and was dreading their reunion with their family to be a massive wipe of character development, but when the reveal was made I never knew how badly I wanted to know their story. Masterfully done.  Handler writes complex and interesting narratives and I couldn't be more pleased that he was included in this adaptation-- I think a lot of what made the series what it is comes directly from him, and his being shut out of the nickelodeon movie led to it feeling like a poor photocopy of the original work. With his aid, the added events or details that weren't in the source material feel like a perfectly natural extension of the story, to the point where I've had to go back and forth because I hadn't read the books in ages and couldn't tell what had happened and what was new. I thought the tone was lovely, and that it's washed-out but less Gothic (compared to 2004 especially) added to the piece, in that it added an extra layer of irony by contrasting the visual tone with the content of the story in a way that still held together and was visual pleasing. I found it a little worrying that the only major black characters were the Poes and Aunt Josephine, aside from a few background characters of color. While it's certainly a step up from 2004's only having memorable non-white actor, Cedric the Entertainer, it's worrying how the only black characters are generally incompetent (Mr. Poe, Josephine) or dismissive and almost cruel (Mrs. Poe, Edgar and Arthur) to the protagonists. While I can see the argument to be made that an upper-middle class family that, in my opinion, was written to be obnoxiously white, being cast as a black family turns the trope on its head, I think it would be a more effective choice if there were other black characters that weren't self-serving the entire time they were on screen (excepting Josephine's final soliloquy, but that ended in her dying and honestly felt like its only purpose was to erase criticism like this by going "Look! Here! A Strong Character!"....... but then pushing her off the ship, so.). Monty and Gustav were both brown men, but were both killed... I understand that this series deals with a great deal of murder, of course, but note how all of the members of the VFD who die (aside from the parents, who are white (because the kids are white)) are people of color, while Jacquelyn and the other interspersed operatives are white, and lived.  Although, I will give them kudos for populating the crowds realistically. I can't recall much about Damocles Dock being particularly one way or the other, and there weren't really crowds in the Reptile Room episodes, but the background characters in the Bad Beginning and Miserable Mill episodes specifically had an even mix of people, which is refreshing because stories with noir or Gothic-reminiscent themes like this series have a track record of being excessively white for useless aesthetics.  I also enjoyed that every character was Jewish. Stepping a little outside of the piece itself and looking at the mainstream media it's being released into, Judaism needs all of the support it can get (especially with neo-nazism on the rise), and while Handler has explicitly stated that the Baudelaires are Jewish, drawing the rest of the world into that was done well.  Honestly, I don't know if I'll ever see an adaptation of Olaf that I'll wholeheartedly enjoy, but NPH's was easier to slip into than Jim Carrey's, and I found myself buying into his villainy and existence in the series more so than I did in the 2004 movie (Where Carrey seems to be stuck in a comedy while the rest of the cast plays drama-- and he has to, as the only entertaining role in the film. I loved his performance, but it didn't make for a tonally coherent film, whereas NPH isn't always on 101% melodrama, and it flows much more easily). All in all, I enjoyed myself immensely while watching, and it made me feel like I was reading the books again. I can't wait to see how they tackle the next third of the series (already being written), which I personally think is my favorite section, or (fingers crossed) the final four books. I have high, high hopes.

It's nothing special, nothing great. Its .... o.k.

[georgewilding · 6/10 · 1 February 2017]

The entire thing is forced and the sfx are bad. The only good thing I can say about this series is that some of the camera shots are amazing and well done. This show will still entertain you but the original 2004 was much better done. It had darker tones and better sfx.

Comparing the 2004 film to the Netflix series, they lack so many great things that could of been added. For example, the banker in the 2004 film showed emotions and was sorry for the orphans. In the Netflix series, he tells them they died with a f*cking grin on his face. If that was meant to be a joke, they flopped.

N.P.H as count olaf is also a major flop. You can also tell that a major chunk of the script is half-assed and if the writers spent an extra week or two polishing it up they could of seriously improved the overall outcome of the series.

A series of ____________ (adjective) _____________ (plural noun)

[JrnlofEddieDeezenStudies · 4/10 · 17 November 2019]

I like the tone of this series. I enjoy the caricature-like characters and the affectations of the acting. I love the production design. The variety of settings were intriguing. It's not too odd for me or anything like that.

What I didn't at all like was how mind-numbingly formulaic it is. There aren't really different stories. It's the same story over and over and over, simply with Mad-Libbed details. I really can't understand how this is so popular as a series when it's so formulaic. Why don't people want more than the same story repeated with Mad-Libbed details?