Just finished the series, I absolutely loved it. NPH's Olaf grew on me as the series went on. Patrick was outstanding. But for me, the star of the show was Olaf's troupe. Especially the twins and the hook-man.
While listening to the song playing at the end of episode eight, I was thinking about how crushing
it was that those two didn't turn out to be the Baudelaire's parents and how I kept hoping and rooting for things to turn out good for them, and how stupid I felt when at every turn the show is telling you it won't turn out good lol.
It was actually a great film. It wasn't exactly true to the books since it's all over the place in less than 2 hours but definitely well made. I'd say it is worth a watch for sure.
I don't know how to explain it. Just exchanged looks, didn't feel all that sibling like, more like adoration. It could just be me. They didn't really feel like siblings to me. If you told me they were both adopted and not related I would believe it. It doesn't take away anything mind you, I still enjoy it.
It was actually a great film. It wasn't exactly true to the books since it's all over the place in less than 2 hours but definitely well made. I'd say it is worth a watch for sure.
Yeah Alfre Woodard is a great actress but I didn't find her very convincing as Josephine. She was serviceable but it's also tough to compare to Streep haha.
Thanks Fellas. Not gonna be able to watch more with the Girlfriend until this weekend, and I loved episode 1 so much that I need more while I wait to watch them with her.
I rewatched the movie today and I actually liked it a lot more than I expected. As an overall product it's obviously flawed because it's trying to jam three books into one movie, not to mention making it a standalone story despite there being 10 books that come after, but there are several things it does really, really well. There are a few things made to be way more dramatic than they ever were in the books, like
the train tracks scene (which didn't even exist), the destruction of Josephine's house including the new part with the anchor, and Klaus discovering Olaf's tower and using it to stop the wedding
, all of which I loved. There's also the new ending where
they return to their old house, including the effect of their memories fading to the burnt reality, and then getting the letter from their parents
which is just beautifully done, and all complimented by the absolutely fantastic soundtrack. It's not a great adaptation but it is a good movie.
I rewatched the movie today and I actually liked it a lot more than I expected. As an overall product it's obviously flawed because it's trying to jam three books into one movie, not to mention making it a standalone story despite there being 10 books that come after, but there are several things it does really, really well. There are a few things made to be way more dramatic than they ever were in the books, like
the train tracks scene (which didn't even exist), the destruction of Josephine's house including the new part with the anchor, and Klaus discovering Olaf's tower and using it to stop the wedding
, all of which I loved. There's also the new ending where
they return to their old house, including the effect of their memories fading to the burnt reality, and then getting the letter from their parents
which is just beautifully done, and all complimented by the absolutely fantastic soundtrack. It's not a great adaptation but it is a good movie.
It wasn't as good as I hoped. I remember enjoying the movie when it came out and I kind of feel I wasted time on the first 6 episodes and then 7 and 8 didn't really engage me.
There's something about the dialogue delivery that bothers me, in how obvious it is in social/meta commentary or self aware of "hey look at us deliver this clever exchange of words" or how proud they are of its updated references.
Then the (I did not read the spoiler policy so just to be sure)
clips with the parents were very off putting from the start as I felt like I was being served a book spoiler and it bothered me quite a bit to the point where the pay-off almost wasn't worth it.
The sequences with the narrator were great though and kind of gave me Twin Peaks vibes, mostly because he reminds me a bit of Dale Coopers actor, but also the character in the way he keeps referencing Beatrice.
I will be following up on the show though, I have always been curious about the books but never bothered to read them. So I want to see how it ends.
I rewatched the movie today and I actually liked it a lot more than I expected. As an overall product it's obviously flawed because it's trying to jam three books into one movie, not to mention making it a standalone story despite there being 10 books that come after, but there are several things it does really, really well. There are a few things made to be way more dramatic than they ever were in the books, like
the train tracks scene (which didn't even exist), the destruction of Josephine's house including the new part with the anchor, and Klaus discovering Olaf's tower and using it to stop the wedding
, all of which I loved. There's also the new ending where
they return to their old house, including the effect of their memories fading to the burnt reality, and then getting the letter from their parents
which is just beautifully done, and all complimented by the absolutely fantastic soundtrack. It's not a great adaptation but it is a good movie.
Yeah, the movie switches the order to 1, 2, 3, then back to 1, and replaces the climax of the first book with a train. The wedding stuff actually should have happened before anything else.
Yeah, the movie switches the order to 1, 2, 3, then back to 1, and replaces the climax of the first book with a train. The wedding stuff actually should have happened before anything else.
It does work pretty well as a final act in the movie, but I can also see why it was written into the end of the first act as it helps establish just how evil Olaf is and how far he's willing to go.
Having recently finished the series, I can safely say that this is an amazingly acute adaptation with astonishing timing, far moreso than the movie upon reflection.
The cast is impeccable. Patrick Warbuton has the delightfully dry delivery one would expect someone as disheartened by the events that befell the Baudelaires as Lemony Snicket. Neil Patrick Harris would not have been my first choice for Olaf but he nails the balance between the pitiful and terrifying picture the books painted Count Olaf to be, right down to the
implied lust for an underage girl that was present in the novel but required reading a touch of reading between the lines
. Even when you're laughing at his on-screen antics, you're laughing at him for being such a pathetic human being to resort to such ridiculous methods, whereas one laughed with Carrey for pretending to be a dinosaur and having fun. The Baudeliare children might pale in comparison to their movie counterparts, but they're a solid trio that one wishes would simply be given a break from their misery and pain, with Sunny stealing the show by channeling Woody Woodpecker.
The entire series is a balancing act where one minor mistake will bring everything down yet it somehow manages to keep everything from dropping while adding even more the show. The additional story moments like
how Count Olaf got the orphans in the first place
took some time to get used to given how familiar I am with the series but nevertheless felt like they belong in the story that Handler is telling in the series. The final fakeout in particular
i.e.we've been following the Quagmire triplets' parents this whole time...even though the parents might still be alive
is worth seeing the entire season just to get hit with that reminder that all the misery of the Baudelaire's is a never-ending string of disappointing knots in an rope that not one can be undone. If there are any complaints to be had, it's with the resolution of the fourth book being hammered into the audience in a manner that lacked the subtlety of the novel and robs the mystery surrounding
Klaus' condition and how to solve it
and one mention of Uber that feels out of place for a show that looks like it takes place in the mid-20th century (I believe they mention watching a 1930s film which one could lead one to assume the setting is during the 90s when home video began picking up with VHS, but given that
the Baudelaires were both wealthy and had friends who were involved in theatrics, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume they could know someone who had a copy of that film. That and the books took place during such a time for thematic purposes and this joke takes away from that ever so slightly even if it is amusing
) but that's minor in the grand scheme of it all.
Also...I might have missed this when I was younger or I might be reading far too much into this as an adult, but I came away from this viewing with a strong anti-capitalist message from LSASOUF, perhaps most blatantly with the Miserable Mill and the worker's being in a perpetual state of apathy towards their predicament and the abysmal conditions their boss imposes on them, to say nothing of how they treat them
i.e. instead of caring for his employee losing his leg, they get upset over a machine being broken
I'd argue the opposite: Instead of feeling like a coherent film, the added climax that's sandwiched between the first and second book, coupled with the wedding of the first slapped onto the ending make for a chaotically paced mess that, while not without its strong moments (the part where Olaf calls Mr. Poe a monster is a great addition and what happens to Aunt Josephine's house, to say nothing of Meryl Streep's performance as Aunt Josephine), feels more like an extended TV pilot than the actual television series. The film also doesn't handle the background events like
the spyglass, the organization and the eye as opposed to the aforementioned fakeout with the parents we see actually being the Quagmires rather than the Baudelaires and the secret organization in the Netflix series
which has an actual payoff rather than just setting up for a sequel film that never happened...which is somewhat baffling. It was received well and grossed a good amount of money during an era where the only young adult movie series based on a book series was Harry Potter as opposed to now where there's countless Hunger Games wannabes, so there was clearly room for more than one to fill the theaters, not to mention the book series was still fairly popular at the time which is a shame because, like the first season, the movie was based on the weakest books in the series so seeing what they could do with stronger source material that didn't awkwardly mix up the order could have made for a much stronger film. Also more excellent sets, which is one aspect both adaptations happen to share.
Also...I might have missed this when I was younger or I might be reading far too much into this as an adult, but I came away from this viewing with a strong anti-capitalist message from LSASOUF, perhaps most blatantly with the Miserable Mill and the worker's being in a perpetual state of apathy towards their predicament and the abysmal conditions their boss imposes on them, to say nothing of how they treat them
i.e. instead of caring for his employee losing his leg, they
I don't really think capitalism is the main thrust - the series really just dresses down many conventions of the 'adult' world. Like the next book
pokes quite a bit at the education system. Government in the 7th book. Hospitals in the 8th. And bunches of tiny things throughout all of it. Heck, the whole series is cynical about 'justice'.
I don't really think capitalism is the main thrust - the series really just dresses down many conventions of the 'adult' world. Like the next book
pokes quite a bit at the education system. Government in the 7th book. Hospitals in the 8th. And bunches of tiny things throughout all of it. Heck, the whole series is cynical about 'justice'.
Daniel Handler is rather liberal and a big supporter of the Occupy movement. The anti-capitalist message of the fourth book is no mistake, but I agree it's not really the overwhelming message, it just ties into ridiculing the "that's just the way things are" mentality.
Also - the Uber mention is just another instance of the series not giving fuck-all about planting itself in a definitive year. I think that's one of its charms. There's one part in the books where a strip mall is said to have a blacksmith next to a computer repair shop.
Daniel Handler is rather liberal and a big supporter of the Occupy movement. The anti-capitalist message of the fourth book is no mistake, but I agree it's not really the overwhelming message, it just ties into ridiculing the "that's just the way things are" mentality.
Also - the Uber mention is just another instance of the series not giving fuck-all about planting itself in a definitive year. I think that's one of its charms. There's one part in the books where a strip mall is said to have a blacksmith next to a computer repair shop.
I know it's not the main theme or driving force of the series or the novels, the latter had more social commentary on wealth, class and the structure of modern society as a whole, from the lowest level to the government, from my recollection, it's just a message that I picked up on among the many others when watching this series.
I finished the first season a few days ago, and I enjoyed it. NPH isn't as good as Carrey is as Count Olaf, but he grew up on me. I can't say I'm a fan of
making the parents prominent characters in this adaptation alive and well
, but other than that there's not much that I can really complain about. I really liked how more faithful to the books they were point, down to the point where they recreated the "Zombies In The Snow" movie in live-action.
I finished the first season a few days ago, and I enjoyed it. NPH isn't as good as Carrey is as Count Olaf, but he grew up on me. I can't say I'm a fan of
making the parents prominent characters in this adaptation alive and well
, but other than that there's not much that I can really complain about. I really liked how more faithful to the books they were point, down to the point where they recreated the "Zombies In The Snow" movie in live-action.
I finished the first season a few days ago, and I enjoyed it. NPH isn't as good as Carrey is as Count Olaf, but he grew up on me. I can't say I'm a fan of
making the parents prominent characters in this adaptation alive and well
, but other than that there's not much that I can really complain about. I really liked how more faithful to the books they were point, down to the point where they recreated the "Zombies In The Snow" movie in live-action.
I don't know that they have scripts written for a Season 3 though so that's probably just wishful thinking on his part. Still could be that the producers have discussed filming the seasons back to back anyways if Patrick is mentioning it, so maybe the scripts are further along. That's another advantage of doing a book adaptation and having the author writing most of the scripts.
Hmm, I can't recall specifically from the books but I wouldn't say it's something the series would shy away from. I think Book 9 (not in this series) has some overt references to animal cruelty.
Hmm, I can't recall specifically from the books but I wouldn't say it's something the series would shy away from. I think Book 9 (not in this series) has some overt references to animal cruelty.
Hmm, I can't recall specifically from the books but I wouldn't say it's something the series would shy away from. I think Book 9 (not in this series) has some overt references to animal cruelty.
Hm, I never read any book past the 13th, one thing I always really liked about them is you never really knew what happened to them as a lot of things are left unanswered.
