• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

A Series of Unfortunate Events |OT| The Dreary Discussion - Netflix 1/13

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

GK86

Homeland Security Fail
wtJ0Cx0.jpg

The extraordinary Baudelaire orphans face trails, tribulations and the evil Count Olaf in their fateful quest to unlock long-held family secrets.
Click to expand...

Delighted Deliverance: Jan. 13th on Netflix.

Streaming Spoilers: Submitting a single spoiler sabotages the show for society. Satisfy us by specifying your analysis accurately (i.e. Episode 3:
Spoilers spoil the series.
)

Helpful Hyperlinks:


Raving or Rough Reviews:

  • AV Club:

    Thirteen years later (an appropriate number), A Series Of Unfortunate Events makes a smooth transition to Netflix, with help from Handler and executive producer Barry Sonnenfeld, both of whom were involved (and then not involved) with the movie version. To paraphrase the series' own tongue-in-cheek metacritique of the cinema, ”It's so much more convenient to consume entertainment from the comfort of your own home"—and it's so much more convenient to retell Handler's epic tale of woe and whimsy when each novel gets two 42-minute episodes to set the mood, to steep in the wit, and to integrate the interjections of the tangent-prone Snicket (played here by Patrick Warburton). Turning a series of popular books into a TV series might not have been the obvious route in the '00s, but in our Game Of Thrones era, it's the smartest.
    Click to expand...
  • Variety:

    Tonally, ”A Series of Unfortunate Events" is a weird, wonderful masterpiece — a self-consciously droll gothic dramedy that might be what would happen if Wes Anderson and Tim Burton decided to make a television series about children together. The series is based on the massively popular children's books of the same name, written by Lemony Snicket, the pen name of author Daniel Handler (who is also an executive producer on the series). The story follows the three Baudelaire children, precocious orphans who stand to inherit a fortune when the eldest, Violet (Malina Weissman), turns 18. But it's four long years until then, and in the meantime, the three are persecuted innocents, dogged by the wicked Count Olaf (Harris) who tries to imprison them, kill the baby Sunny (Presley Smith), marry Violet, and sabotages every effort the children make to connect to other adults.

    ...

    What's best of all about ”A Series of Unfortunate Events" is how every element of it — from the performances and set pieces to the detailed production design and steady pacing — come together to form a complete, considered vision. As the show well knows, it's a super weird vision — which is why it encourages you, with a nod and a wink, to look away at all costs. But if you can stand to watch, ”A Series of Unfortunate Events" is a bewitching modern fairy tale, with all the hexes and perils that pretty genre implies.
    Click to expand...
  • The Hollywood Reporter:

    Certainly it helps that Sonnenfeld (who helmed four of the eight installments) seems energized and engaged here in ways that recall his charmingly baroque Addams Family films, as opposed to that recent purported comedy Nine Lives (2016), in which evil businessman Kevin Spacey learned treacly life lessons after being reincarnated in feline form. Meanwhile, ace production designer Bo Welch, who also directed the two-part season finale, has an imaginative, eye-popping field day with the sets — a nice mix of practical and CG elements that bring to life everything from a creaky shack perched perilously atop a cliff to an evil optometrist's office located in an ocular-shaped metal tower. The oddball material also gives the uber-talented guest cast (plum supporting roles are filled by the likes of Catherine O'Hara, Alfre Woodard, Aasif Mandvi, Don Johnson, Rhys Darby and Joan Cusack) the chance to unleash their inner ham. Cusack's Madeline Kahn-channeling flightiness as Baudelaire neighbor Justice Strauss is especially delightful.
    Click to expand...
  • IGN:

    There's a genuine glee in watching A Series of Unfortunate Events unfold, as ironic as that might sound to those unfamiliar with the material. Netflix's adaptation is a smart approach to tackling the first four books in the franchise, with beautiful set design that is a joy to watch and self-aware scripting that should please word nerds. Though the cyclical plot can sporadically be, the spectacular cast and lingering mysteries are consistently engaging and, quite simply, fun. As much as the show might jokingly protest, it would truly be unfortunate to not watch these events unfold.
    Click to expand...
Creditable Cast:

UpETpXk.jpg

Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket,
Malina Weissman as Violet Baudelaire

g3IBd91.jpg

Louis Hynes as Klaus Baudelaire, Joan Cusack as Justice Strauss, Usman Ally as Hook-Handed Man

Gt1ogdc.jpg

Aasif Mandvi as Uncle Monty, K. Todd Freeman as Mr. Poe, Alfre Woodard as Aunt Josephine

QgppBcB.jpg

Catherine O'Hara as Dr. Georgina Orwell, Matty Cardarople as Henchperson of Indetermined Gender, John DeSantis as Bald Man

Presley Smith as Sunny Baudelaire, Dylan Kingwell as Duncan, Avi Lake as Isadora
Click to expand...


Promo Photos:

Z66HGC1.jpg

nPmkWKh.jpg

i5o6NmW.jpg

MAfgory.jpg
Click to expand...
 
N° 2048

N° 2048

Member
Great OT! Subbed. Absolutely stoked for this.

Shame I work on the 13th but will binge it all that night as soon as I get home.
 
R

rjinaz

Member
Gees between this and Nintendo's streaming, the 13th is going to be packed. If I were currently employed I'd take the day off!
 
M

Mariolee

Member
Neil Patrick Harris seems so off as Count Olaf from what I've seen of the trailers, but a few reviews have said his performance is actually quite good which is a pleasant surprise. Looking forward to this.
 
B

Bronx-Man

Banned
I loved the books a lot growing up and I even liked the movie, so I'm excited for this.

The backgrounds look so obviously green-screen though. Wonder what's up with that.
 
Z

zeemumu

Member
It's been a while since I've read the books but I remember enough. Excited to see how this goes and why there was so much emphasis on Miserable Mill in that trailer
 
B

brau

Member
Goose_Se7en said:
Will this be offered in 4K/HDR?
Click to expand...

Most Netflix Originals tend to do so now. So i would expect this one to be as well.

http://4k.com/netflix-is-dramatically-expanding-its-4k-hdr-content-selection-for-2016-14173-2/

Google search showed some websites saying it would be.

Among the titles to be offered in the two resolutions will be “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” “Bloodline,” “Chef’s Table,” “Hibana,” “Knights of Sidonia,” “Marvel’s Daredevil,” “Marvel’s Iron Fist,” “Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” “Marvel’s Luke Cage,” “Marvel’s The Defenders,” “The Do-Over,” along with “The Ridiculous Six.”
Click to expand...
 
B

Buttonbasher

Member
So excited. I love the idea of two episodes for each book. The books meant a lot to me, and the movie really dropped the ball in everything besides production design and certain casting.
 
G

Geist-

Member
I'm still ambivalent, but I'm excited regardless. Netflix is hitting it out of the park lately so I'll give them a chance.
 
S

SpaceWolf

Banned
I'm finding Violet's seeming tendency to wear bright pink clothing in this series slightly off-putting. Seems very out of character.

Anyway, I'm praying this will be good. I've been a massive fan of the books since I was a child.
 
A

Armadilo

Banned
Someone should start a review thread because it's seems Netflix have a winner with this show, in the 80's for metacritic

A new thread so it'll get more attention and people interested in the show. And of course add some to the OT

- I would do it but have slow ass internet and just a pain

Its going to be good
 
R

Real Hero

Member
I really hope they do the prequel series too after this is done, I think the tone of that is probs easier to pull of visually
 
T

thestopsign

Member
Real Hero said:
low expectations, the books are just too good but I'm hoping to be surprised
Click to expand...

It is getting pretty glowing reviews. It seems the only weak point is Sunny and that is mostly to be expected, it's hard to do a baby/character like Sunny visually. The only other complaint I heard is that it is slightly repetitive in the same way the books were, but I always enjoyed that aspect of the series. It may be best to watch it as a set of four movies rather than binge it all at once.
 
S

SpaceWolf

Banned
thestopsign said:
It is getting pretty glowing reviews. It seems the only weak point is Sunny and that is mostly to be expected, it's hard to do a baby/character like Sunny visually. The only other complaint I heard is that it is slightly repetitive in the same way the books were, but I always enjoyed that aspect of the series. It may be best to watch it as a set of four movies rather than binge it all at once.
Click to expand...

Really? The Variety Review seemed incredibly positive about Sunny.

It can be nerve-wracking to accept how much danger the children are in, especially because Weissman, Smith, and Louis Hynes as Klaus are such talented actors. (Yes, even the baby. How does a baby steal a scene? I don’t know, but there you have it.)
Click to expand...

The main thing I'm worried about with this series is Harris' performance as Olaf. He just doesn't seem even remotely menacing enough for the role. Plus, I'm still a bit irked that Patrick Warburton's version of Lemony Snicket is so drastically different from the much more neurotic, secretive character from the books.
 
G

GK86

Homeland Security Fail
AV Club:

Thirteen years later (an appropriate number), A Series Of Unfortunate Events makes a smooth transition to Netflix, with help from Handler and executive producer Barry Sonnenfeld, both of whom were involved (and then not involved) with the movie version. To paraphrase the series' own tongue-in-cheek metacritique of the cinema, ”It's so much more convenient to consume entertainment from the comfort of your own home"—and it's so much more convenient to retell Handler's epic tale of woe and whimsy when each novel gets two 42-minute episodes to set the mood, to steep in the wit, and to integrate the interjections of the tangent-prone Snicket (played here by Patrick Warburton). Turning a series of popular books into a TV series might not have been the obvious route in the '00s, but in our Game Of Thrones era, it's the smartest.
Click to expand...

Variety:

Tonally, ”A Series of Unfortunate Events" is a weird, wonderful masterpiece — a self-consciously droll gothic dramedy that might be what would happen if Wes Anderson and Tim Burton decided to make a television series about children together. The series is based on the massively popular children's books of the same name, written by Lemony Snicket, the pen name of author Daniel Handler (who is also an executive producer on the series). The story follows the three Baudelaire children, precocious orphans who stand to inherit a fortune when the eldest, Violet (Malina Weissman), turns 18. But it's four long years until then, and in the meantime, the three are persecuted innocents, dogged by the wicked Count Olaf (Harris) who tries to imprison them, kill the baby Sunny (Presley Smith), marry Violet, and sabotages every effort the children make to connect to other adults.

What's best of all about ”A Series of Unfortunate Events" is how every element of it — from the performances and set pieces to the detailed production design and steady pacing — come together to form a complete, considered vision. As the show well knows, it's a super weird vision — which is why it encourages you, with a nod and a wink, to look away at all costs. But if you can stand to watch, ”A Series of Unfortunate Events" is a bewitching modern fairy tale, with all the hexes and perils that pretty genre implies.
Click to expand...

The Hollywood Reporter:

Certainly it helps that Sonnenfeld (who helmed four of the eight installments) seems energized and engaged here in ways that recall his charmingly baroque Addams Family films, as opposed to that recent purported comedy Nine Lives (2016), in which evil businessman Kevin Spacey learned treacly life lessons after being reincarnated in feline form. Meanwhile, ace production designer Bo Welch, who also directed the two-part season finale, has an imaginative, eye-popping field day with the sets — a nice mix of practical and CG elements that bring to life everything from a creaky shack perched perilously atop a cliff to an evil optometrist's office located in an ocular-shaped metal tower. The oddball material also gives the uber-talented guest cast (plum supporting roles are filled by the likes of Catherine O'Hara, Alfre Woodard, Aasif Mandvi, Don Johnson, Rhys Darby and Joan Cusack) the chance to unleash their inner ham. Cusack's Madeline Kahn-channeling flightiness as Baudelaire neighbor Justice Strauss is especially delightful.
Click to expand...

IGN:

There's a genuine glee in watching A Series of Unfortunate Events unfold, as ironic as that might sound to those unfamiliar with the material. Netflix's adaptation is a smart approach to tackling the first four books in the franchise, with beautiful set design that is a joy to watch and self-aware scripting that should please word nerds. Though the cyclical plot can sporadically be, the spectacular cast and lingering mysteries are consistently engaging and, quite simply, fun. As much as the show might jokingly protest, it would truly be unfortunate to not watch these events unfold.
Click to expand...
 
T

thestopsign

Member
SpaceWolf said:
Really? The Variety Review seemed incredibly positive about Sunny.



The main thing I'm worried about with this series is Harris' performance as Olaf. He just doesn't seem even remotely menacing enough for the role. Plus, I'm still a bit irked that Patrick Warburton's version of Lemony Snicket is so drastically different from the much more neurotic, secretive character from the books.
Click to expand...

That's good to hear, the IGN review complained about Sunny a bit. They said she was obviously CG at times and distracting.
 
M

MMarston

Was getting caught part of your plan?
Btw, I just realized that the two elderly twins that who seem like part of Olaf's posse are from my neighbourhood. See them on the bus a lot.

Neat.
 
B

BTA

Member
I'm excited. Haven't read the books in forever (rather, I don't think I've reread them after the last one came out), but I was a big fan of them as a kid. So it's good to see the positive reviews, since I was a little worried about it.
 
H

hydruxo

Member
Can't wait for this. Loved the books as a kid. I'm gonna try and reread the first four this week before the eps come on Friday.
 
M

mandiller

Member
It's only the first four books? That's disappointing. We'll barely see something new that wasn't in the movie. I was hoping we could get at least half the book series in one season.

I hope they do manage to film the next seasons so we can see the whole thing finally. The movie was great, but the story is just left hanging there.
 
B

B-Dubs

No Scrubs
mandiller said:
It's only the first four books? That's disappointing. We'll barely see something new that wasn't in the movie. I was hoping we could get at least half the book series in one season.

I hope they do manage to film the next seasons so we can see the whole thing finally. The movie was great, but the story is just left hanging there.
Click to expand...

The books do get longer as the series continues on, so it makes sense that it'd take more time to cover them.
 
Z

zeemumu

Member
mandiller said:
It's only the first four books? That's disappointing. We'll barely see something new that wasn't in the movie. I was hoping we could get at least half the book series in one season.

I hope they do manage to film the next seasons so we can see the whole thing finally. The movie was great, but the story is just left hanging there.
Click to expand...

I'd hope so. If they continue with a 4 book per season they should be able to keep going for at least 3.

I guess that explains all the emphasis on Miserable Mill, but that's probably a poor place to put the season finale because that's not a great book.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

  • Locked
Netflix's Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events | Trailer 2
2
56
9K
GK86 replied
  • Locked
Patrick Warburton to Star as Lemony Snicket in Netflix Drama
27
3K
Sesha replied
  • Locked
Neil Patrick Harris to play Count Olaf in Netflix 'Series of Unfortunate Events'
2 3
105
12K
Dylan Sexbang replied
  • Locked
Neil Patrick Harris is in talks for Count Olaf in Netflix Series of Unfortunate Event
3
730
tomtom94 replied
  • Locked
A Netflix Original Series of Unfortunate Events gets a showrunner and a director
31
4K
Lod7 replied
Top Bottom