Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (Brad Silberling) -2004

Lemony Snicket is the pen name of Daniel Handler who puts himself as narrator into the children's books he writes.  The movie recounts the adventures of three precocious children who are shuttled off to various family members including the evil Count Olaf (Jim Carrey).  The stars of the show are the set decorator (Cheryl Carasik) and the various art directors who made the sets that upstage the actors in every scene.  The story seems to be secondary to the locations and special effects.  The storyline is really too simplistic for adults and probably too scary for young children.  Carrey is over-the-top as usual in his various disguises.  Meryl Streep was OK as the one-dimensional, strange Aunt Josephine.  And, Dustin Hoffman pops in for a bag of popcorn.  Watch this movie for the sets and the end credits.  There is really no point to the story. [JAM 4/1/2010]