How do you explain a movie like this? First off, the author warns us this isn't a happy little story. It's filled with a series of unfortunate events that happen to the Baudelaire children, recently orphaned by a house fire. Being passed from guardian to guardian, with only each other to trust.

Now I'm not a big reader, so I can't comment on how well it was adapted from the book. What I can say is that the story is funny, inventive, and creative (which is a rarity in Hollywood).

The man at the creative helm of this film is Brad Silberling. A director who's brought us films like CITY OF ANGELS and CASPER, as well as an very experienced TV director (mostly attached to Steven Bochco projects). While I have to admit, I was so interested in the story of the film, I couldn't really comment on the shots of the movie or the cinematography. But here's the thing: when it comes down to it, this movie was based on a series of books originally written for kids (like the Harry Potter books).

Now, a lot of people ask how Jim Carrey was as Count Olaf. Again, I didn't read the book so I'm not sure how overboard he went in his portrayal. However, I thought he did a good job. As Count Olaf, he crept a little into the realm of trademark Carrey a few times, but overall it wasn't too over-the-top.

The movie was a delight to watch. The young actors that played the Baudelaire children did a great job. The humor was great, the adult actors were good, the environments & story telling was great. For kids, this is movie is a 5 out of 5. And while, it's not a contender for Best Picture, I believe adults will enjoy this movie as well the kids.