Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) – Movie Review

Yeah, it’s time to take a look at another Jim Carrey adaptation, another book adaptation. Also who remembered this trailer playing at the beginning of the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie DVD?

So what is this film about? Glad y’all asked. Essentially these 3 kids:

Violet Baudelaire – the oldest, a brilliant inventor

Klaus Baudelaire – the middle child, a bookworm with a photographic memory

Sunny Baudelaire – their baby sister, who has a bite that can snap steel


…suffer a horrible tragedy where their home—and supposedly their parents—burn down. Whether it was an accident or not is a question left looming.

Enter Mr. Poe (Timothy Spall), a clueless banker responsible for placing the children with relatives. He hands them off to their first guardian:

Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), a washed-up stage actor who treats the children like unpaid servants and plots to steal their family fortune.


Carrey brings an over-the-top, cartoonishly evil charm to Olaf that either works for you or completely doesn’t. His disguises are bizarre, his performances unhinged, and he chews scenery like he’s starving.

Also popping in and out is Lemony Snicket (Jude Law), the mysterious narrator chronicling the tragedy via typewriter in a noir-ish setting.

The kids later meet two more guardians:

Uncle Monty (Billy Connolly), a reptile enthusiast with a warm heart.

Aunt Josephine (Meryl Streep), a grammar-obsessed shut-in terrified of everything.


As you can see, Olaf doesn’t stop chasing them no matter where they go, always showing up in wild disguises with fake names like Stefano or Captain Sham.

Final Thoughts:

The film’s biggest strength is its style—it’s gothic, darkly whimsical, and visually imaginative. The performances range from stellar (Meryl Streep and Billy Connolly) to delightfully chaotic (Jim Carrey). It condenses the first three books (The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, The Wide Window) into one film, which means the pacing is brisk, sometimes at the expense of depth.

Still, it captures the somber tone and unfairness the Baudelaire children face, balancing it with clever humor and surprisingly emotional moments. Sunny biting things will never not be funny.

Rating: 9/10

> WARNING: Spoilers ahead. Stop here if you haven’t seen the film!



In the climax, Olaf is caught trying to marry Violet during a staged play (which would legally make him heir to their fortune). But he’s outsmarted. The film ends with him being forced to endure all the horrors he subjected the Baudelaire children to—including being locked in a car on a railroad track.

Also, Lemony Snicket closes the film reflecting on how even in tragedy, memories and hope endure. It ends on a bittersweet note, with the children reading a letter from their parents found in a spyglass—offering a shred of warmth in a cold world.

It’s a rare book-to-film adaptation that gets the tone mostly right.

Let me know when you’re ready to move on to the Netflix adaptation!