Recently, I've discovered my well known favorite childhood book series on Netflix. I have to admit, at first, I was skeptical. Daniel Handler wrote the books so magnificently that I was unsure if Netflix could re-create the books that were a large part of my childhood, in the format my I always imagined.
1. Neil Patrick Harris
In A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix, he plays the mischievous character of Count Olaf (the villain). Harris brings back to Hollywood the way a villain should be portrayed. Many scenes have the viewer on edge with a slight feeling of uneasiness.
Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf
2. Sunny's Character
The smallest, yet most important role of all is held by Presley Smith. Although she's young she holds the role of the youngest Baudelaire orphan. In the books Sunny had the ability to chew through practically anything, the drawing of her in the books showed her with sharp, shark-like teeth which could bite through anything. This makes this role difficult to execute correctly by just an infant. Although a great deal of animation is used to make Sunny "come to life" she still executes the role marvelously.
3. Sub-Plot, Sub-Plot, Sub-Plot
Throughout many episodes, there's the plot of what's going on in the episode, but also a sub-plot not related to the episode. In many episodes, the narrator character mentions a bit about himself and how he is telling the story.
4. The Narrator, Lemony Snicket
Patrick Warburton plays the character of Lemony Snicket. Lemony Snicket is an included character to let the viewer know whats happening in the story. Lemony Snicket alone is a reason to watch the series. The way he narrates the story makes you feel as if you're at the theatre watching a play. With a compelling anchorman voice, he is the person you really want to hear talking the entire episode.
5. Violet and Klaus Baudelaire
This one is self-explanatory, Violet and Klaus are the two main characters of the story. They're the ones that can make or break the story so they needed to be casted correctly. Violet is played by Malina Weissman, while Klaus is played by Louis Hynes. Both characters are beautifully executed by both Weissman and Hynes. Weissman plays the role of a young girl with extreme engineering talents, and Hynes plays the role of a young boy with the passion of reading books and being in a library. Both actors have the advantage of being young (They're already doing something right) and the ability to hold such an important position.
6) A Childhood Recreation
As a child, I read and re-read the books so seeing them portrayed on my computer screen in such an accurate (to how I imagined the story) way makes me feel as if I'm younger and re-reading the series I loved. Thank you, Netflix, for doing such a great job on this show.