Directed by Brad Siberling, LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS follows the Baudelaire orphans--Violet (Emily Browning), Klaus (Liam Aiken), and baby Sunny (played by twins Kara and Shelby Hoffman)--as they are followed by the wicked Count Olaf (Jim Carrey). A distant relative and an awful actor, Olaf is determined to claim the fortune willed to Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, whose parents died in a mysterious fire. Enigmatic author Lemony Snicket (Jude Law) recounts the adventures of the three children as they change hands from the conniving Olaf to the reptile-loving Uncle Monty (Billy Connolly) to Aunt Josephine (Meryl Steep), who lives in fear of just about everything.

An adaptation that condenses the first three books in the series--THE BAD BEGINNING, THE REPTILE ROOM, and THE WIDE WINDOW--into one installment, the film captures the darkly humorous tone of the popular children's novels by Lemony Snicket (AKA Daniel Handler). Carrey clearly has fun with his intentionally over-the-top role as the villain, while the young actors embody their resourceful characters wonderfully. The true star of the film, however, may be the production design of Rick Heinrichs (SLEEPY HOLLOW), which creates a visually stunning world filled with gothic mansions and ramshackle houses. By keeping the heart of the eccentric books intact, A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS proves to be an usually inventive and quirky Hollywood film.

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Widescreen
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English, French, Spanish
Subtitles - English
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Brad Silberling - Director 2. The Real Lemony Snicket
Additional Scenes - (18)
Featurettes - 1. BAD BEGINNINGS
2. BUILDING A BAD ACTOR
3. MAKING THE BAUDELAIRE CHILDREN MISERABLE
4. INTERACTIVE OLAF
Easter Eggs - 1. Olaf's Ghost Story aka Count Olaf's Ghastly Ghost Story

Distributor Notes: Dear Viewer, If you enjoy movies filled with singing rabbits, exploding spaceships, or cheerleaders, you are holding the wrong DVD entirely. This movie is extremely alarming, an expression which here means "a thrilling misadventure involving three ingenious orphans and a villainous actor named Count Olaf (Jim Carrey) who wants their enormous fortune." It includes a suspicious fire, delicious pasta, Jim Carrey, poorly behaved leeches, an incredibly deadly viper, Meryl Streep, and the voice of an impostor named Jude Law. The only things that could make such a spectacle more upsetting are special features, such as commentary by me or outtakes involving nervous laughter. I am bound to continue my research into the lives of the Baudelaire orphans, but you are free to seek lighter fare, like blue cheese fondue. With all due respect, Lemony Snicket.

Source - Paramount Home Entertainment

Jim Carrey: Canadian Actor/Comedian
Meryl Streep: American Actress
Jude Law: British Actor, WILDE (1997)
Billy Connolly: Comedian/Actor
Liam Aiken: Actor
Kara Hoffman: Actor, LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (2004
Shelby Hoffman: Actor, LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (2004
Emily Browning: Actor, LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (2004
Timothy Spall: British Actor, TOPSY-TURVY (1999)
Catherine O'Hara: Co-founder of SCTV - "Beetlejuice," "Home Alone"
Jane Adams: American actor, HAPPINESS/THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY
Jennifer Coolidge: 
Luis Guzmán: Puerto Rican actor, BOOGIE NIGHTS
Jamie Harris: Actor/"Savage Hearts"
Craig Ferguson: Actor, Writer
 Cedric the Entertainer: 
Dustin Hoffman: American Actor

Brad Siberling: Director, LEMONY SNICKET'S SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

Robert Gordon: Screenwriter

Thomas Newman: Composer

"[A] visually arresting and entertaining romp..."
"[T]he kids are excellent, imbuing characters who could have been ciphers with a sense of sadness..."
"[T]he real triumphs of the film are Emily Browning and Liam Aiken, who play Violet and Klaus Baudelaire with grace, assuredness, and a commendable lack of cuteness."