It was wonderful. I'm sorry, skeptics, but it really was.
The costumes were really unique. I liked how they seemed to draw inspiration from several different time periods.
I really loved Liam Aiken and Emily Browning as Klaus and Violet Baudelaire- even though they didn't fit my mental images of the characters, they proved themselves over and over again throughout the course of the film. Emily Browning has a history of doing excellent films, and after seeing her in the comparatively small role of Ned Kelly's sister I had a lot of faith in her. I wasn't quite as sure about Liam Aiken because I hadn't seen any of his work, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Sunny Baudelaire (as played by Kara and Shelby Hoffman) was just done perfectly. Everybody in the cinema laughed at the subtitles. I seriously didn't think that it was possible for two-year-olds to be good at acting, but the Hoffman twins convinced me otherwise.
The musical score was brilliantly done and the sets were, in a word, epic. I felt *dizzy* whenever there were panoramic shots of Lake Lachrymose, for heaven's sakes! There were some scenes which were not in the books- such as the theme of sanctuary, the spyglasses, the lost letter from the Baudelaire parents. As a Lemony Snicket obsessive I expected to fume at these scenes, but they worked wonderfully.
Keep an eye out for the hilarious 'Littlest Elf' sequence at the beginning and the amazing animated credits (complete with a song from the film 'The Addams Family', possibly a nod to Barry Sonnenfield, who is credited as a producer).
I am giving this film a 9 out of 10 simply because I am a fan of the books and there were a couple of story details I felt could have been communicated better.
Excellent stuff! If there are any sequels, they can only improve.
The costumes were really unique. I liked how they seemed to draw inspiration from several different time periods.
I really loved Liam Aiken and Emily Browning as Klaus and Violet Baudelaire- even though they didn't fit my mental images of the characters, they proved themselves over and over again throughout the course of the film. Emily Browning has a history of doing excellent films, and after seeing her in the comparatively small role of Ned Kelly's sister I had a lot of faith in her. I wasn't quite as sure about Liam Aiken because I hadn't seen any of his work, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Sunny Baudelaire (as played by Kara and Shelby Hoffman) was just done perfectly. Everybody in the cinema laughed at the subtitles. I seriously didn't think that it was possible for two-year-olds to be good at acting, but the Hoffman twins convinced me otherwise.
The musical score was brilliantly done and the sets were, in a word, epic. I felt *dizzy* whenever there were panoramic shots of Lake Lachrymose, for heaven's sakes! There were some scenes which were not in the books- such as the theme of sanctuary, the spyglasses, the lost letter from the Baudelaire parents. As a Lemony Snicket obsessive I expected to fume at these scenes, but they worked wonderfully.
Keep an eye out for the hilarious 'Littlest Elf' sequence at the beginning and the amazing animated credits (complete with a song from the film 'The Addams Family', possibly a nod to Barry Sonnenfield, who is credited as a producer).
I am giving this film a 9 out of 10 simply because I am a fan of the books and there were a couple of story details I felt could have been communicated better.
Excellent stuff! If there are any sequels, they can only improve.