A Review of Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events"
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A Review of Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events"

Dear reader, please look away.

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A Review of Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events"
ComingSoon.net

As a child, the three names guaranteed to elicit maximum excitement from me ranked in the following importance- Santa Claus, Indiana Jones, and Lemony Snicket. Apart from the childhood classics such as "Goodnight Moon"and "Everybody Poops,"Mr. Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events"was my introduction to the world of "big kids" literature as I did not need mommy to read to me anymore. These books set an unrealistically high standard for my readings to come and for a while, most books couldn't compare. At eight years old, Dr. Seuss' masterpieces were now only for babies, "Charlotte's Web" was for nerds, and I even flirted with atheism every time I picked up a Bible (when Noah packs two Incredibly Deadly Vipers on the ark, then come talk to me.)

Brad Silberling's live action adaptation titled "A Series of Unfortunate Events" was released in December of 2004, fairly soon after the publication of eleventh book in this unfortunate series "The Grim Grotto." Featuring an all star cast led by Jim Carrey, the film was everything I had hoped and more. Even with adult eyes, "A Series of Unfortunate Events" is a guilty pleasure- a phrase which here means "Thomas Newman's film score is included in every single playlist I possess." Of course it suffered from flaws (mainly from Carrey's over the top and silly portrayal of Count Olaf,) but by gosh is it an immensely watchable, genuinely exciting, sincerely heartfelt, and darn faithful adaptation of its source material. Still to this day, my heart sinks knowing that a sequel will never be made and Lemony Snicket's dour world will never be seen through the eyes of the filmmakers involved.

However, we now have a Netflix Original Series created from the minds of Barry Sonenefeld and Daniel Handler (a uh... *friend* of Lemony Snicket) starring Neil Patrick Harris and Patrick Warburton. Odds are you at least know of this series' existence as excitement and anticipation has been building over the past few months. I, myself, was thrilled to watch this series and excitedly jumped at the chance to binge the entire eight hour long endeavor in one sitting. Even if I didn't enjoy it, I figured I'd at least be able to pop out this article for you regarding my experience. Fortunately, there is enough to discuss here to recount (haha, *count*) my experience with the first season of Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events."

Fear not, the following is completely spoiler free.

To rip the hypothetical band-aid off as quickly as possible, Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" is the weakest incarnation of the Baudelaire orphan's story thus far. The series isn't a disaster, by any means, and no matter the negative aspects this review will address, it should not deter anybody from watching it (no matter how hard Lemony Snicket begs of you.) The first few episodes do take quite a bit of time before becoming fully engrossing. Sure, it has great moments early on like the movie theater sequence from "The Reptile Room Part 1," but it isn't until more than halfway into the series with "The Wide Window Part 2" does the show maintains a steadily brisk pace and truly becomes binge worthy. With such compelling source material and a previous film that is astonishingly entertaining, a series constantly battling between watchable and boring can be a bit disappointing. Neil Patrick Harris can be a blast to watch... that is if this scene gives him something to work with. The climax of "The Bad Beginning" seems so dull and lifeless as opposed to the dramatic energy from the book and the film. Characters seem to abandon their previously developed designs in order to tell a punchline for an uncharacteristic comment. Even the brilliant James Newton Howard delivers a score that is shockingly sub-par especially when being compared to Thomas Newman's original masterpiece. However, this series isn't as unfortunate as the title might have you believe. There is a lot of very noticeable talent here (of which I will excitedly gush over in just a moment. Drink the medicine, your spoonful of sugar is on its way,) and as the Baudelaires themselves grow wiser to the world around them, the filmmakers grow more competent in presenting that world.

The highest compliment I can give to this series is that it perfectly replicates the complicated mystery elements from the books as well as the gorgeous visual look of the film. In fact, one could argue that whether it be the show, the film, or the books, each incarnation brings something new to the table that was lacking in the other forms of its tale. The film lacked the real tension from the mystery elements that the books built on, but gave the story a sincere heart that was noticeably lacking from the books. The show lacks the heart that the film built on but produces some pretty stellar and very subdue comedy that the film went overboard with. All of these forms of media are all everything that the others aren't. The best parts of each of these would present this story in the absolute best would it could ever possibly be. If a genie in a bottle was presented to me, a version of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" using all of the strengths of each of these versions would most certainly be wish number two.

There is also something perhaps unintentionally genius about presenting this story using Netflix's streaming services. You see, while readers had to wait patiently for the next book to be published, and film audiences merely had to wait for an act break to see the story continue, viewers of the series never need to wait to see the next step in the Baudelaire's tale of woe. Part of what makes this story so insanely enjoyable is just how frustrating it is to watch the Baudelaire's continuously be talked down to by the unsuspecting adults, or how Count Olaf continues to invade these poor children's lives. That frustration is multiplied to a much larger extent than what is found in the books or film as an eight hour long series dedicated to that very feeling permeates the experience. To see Count Olaf escape the end of one episode, only to appear in another transparent disguise moments later can be absolutely agonizing and one of the few aspects of the series that does feel genuine and fun. I am sincerely excited to see just how that frustration weighs on these characters as the series progresses into hopefully darker territory with future seasons.

Besides the design and feel of the show, some of the acting needs to be mentioned here. The children Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire (Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes, and Presley Smith, respectively) all fit into their roles quite nicely. Hynes it seems does need a bit more time to fully realize Klaus the way Weissman realizes Violent almost instantly, but it is awesome to know that he does step up to the plate when he needs to. Usman Ally as the Hook-Handed Man is responsible for the majority of my audible cackling throughout the night as his take on the character is both unique and natural. His childlike sense of wonder when it comes to initiating violence is comic gold and a scene involving him, Sunny, and a deck of cards stands out as the single greatest moment in the entire series. Patrick Warburton knocks it out of the park with his portrayal of Lemony Snicket in this. Adding grief and immense pain to his omniscience, anytime he isn't on screen, you long to see him again. Alfre Woodard's Aunt Josephine was also a really terrific inclusion to the cast as her portrayal of the character didn't feel like a constant punching bag like Meryl Streep's portrayal of her in the film. Chris Gauthier as Phil is even more joyful and optimistic than he was in the book "The Miserable Mill" and his presence was always welcomed. Neil Patrick Harris, however, is the one we all want to talk about. I am pleased to report that Harris is absolutely phenomenal as Count Olaf and is the obvious stand out in this cast. It's almost unfair to call him the true VFD (Valued Fantastic Delight) as that's just who Count Olaf is, but we've yet to see a visual representation of him that is truly despicable. One major positive this show delivers on is the desire to put Count Olaf in the same terrifying light the way Lemony Snicket sees him. Of course he's good for a laugh every now and again, but Jim Carrey's Count Olaf never held a knife up to little baby Sunny before. This is one Count you truly don't want to mess with and it is a refreshing pleasure to witness.

Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" is a constant mixed bag until all of a sudden it gets really great. Throughout my premiere night binge, a wide variety of emotions began to penetrate my brain all ranging from either positivity or harsh boredom. Some scenes are very funny to watch. Some scenes are very tedious and go on for what seems like forever. It's such a shame to walk away from this series with the overarching sensation of.... yeah, that was alright, I guess. As a devoted fan of all things Snicket ever since I was a little boy, it does pain me to write that, however, I do see the show's potential. It does show some moments of actual darkness and include some really fun surprises even for us book readers. As the series concluded with a really fun tease into part five's "The Austere Academy," a bit of sadness did envelope me. Having to wait to see what lies ahead for these characters even when I already know what happens is a true testament to the show's enjoyability. While the doomed journey ahead is winding and paved with many mysteries left to discover, one thing is for certain- a new season is on its way and the unfortunate Baudelaire orphans are not out of the woods just yet.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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