Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Movie 2004

Directed by Brad Silberling Produced by Laurie MacDonald
Walter F. Parkes
Jim Van Wyck Written by Robert Gordon
Daniel Handler (books) Based on The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room and The Wide Window by
Lemony Snicket
Rated PG
Summary:
Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events follows the Baudelaire orphans--Violet (Emily Browning), Klaus (Liam Aiken), and baby Sunny (played by twins Kara and Shelby Hoffman)--as they are followed by the wicked Count Olaf (Jim Carrey). A distant relative and an awful actor, Olaf is determined to claim the fortune willed to Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, whose parents died in a mysterious fire. Enigmatic author Lemony Snicket (Jude Law) recounts the adventures of the three children as they change hands from the conniving Olaf to the reptile-loving Uncle Monty (Billy Connolly) to Aunt Josephine (Meryl Steep), who lives in fear of just about everything.An adaptation that condenses the first three books in the series--THE BAD BEGINNING, THE REPTILE ROOM, and THE WIDE WINDOW--into one installment, the film captures the darkly humorous tone of the popular children's novels by Lemony Snicket (AKA Daniel Handler). Carrey clearly has fun with his intentionally over-the-top role as the villain, while the young actors embody their resourceful characters wonderfully. The true star of the film, however, may be the production design of Rick Heinrichs (SLEEPY HOLLOW), which creates a visually stunning world filled with gothic mansions and ramshackle houses. By keeping the heart of the eccentric books intact, A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS proves to be an inventive and quirky Hollywood film.
Review:
I wouldn’t recommend this movie to young children even with parental supervision. This movie contains scenes that are too grim, violent, and inappropriate for kids under 10. The part where Carrey sets about attempting to murder the children and claiming their fortune-to-be; as often as they escape his clutches, he imperils them again and again. As an adult, it freaks me out big time already, not to mention kids. Again, don’t show this to your kids unless you want them screaming at night every night!