A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket was one of my absolute favorite series in early middle school. I remember first picking them up in fourth or fifth grade and quickly devouring them, eagerly awaiting the release of the next book. I discovered these before I discovered Harry Potter and I was hooked until the very end.
Then, a movie! Despite fears and trepidation, there’s always a bit of excitement when one of your favorite books is being made into a movie. It’s your favorite story! On the big screen! Yay! Until you get there and it’s nothing like your beloved book (ahem, Eragon, anyone?). That was A Series of Unfortunate Events for me. Though the movie has a star-studded cast, it was disappointing.When I heard about the Netflix series, I was so excited. After watching the trailer when it was released, I knew that this series was going to be everything I wanted the movie to be. A TV series means there’s much more time to develop the story and characters.
I watched the first two episodes on Friday when it was released (Friday the 13th, nonetheless), and it was everything it needed to be. Perfect casting; eerie, washed out colors; warnings to not continue watching; and an ever present, omniscient narrator, elements that fit the tone of the stories absolutely perfectly.
The plot details from the books may be slightly fuzzy, as it’s been a while since I read the books, but after watching the first three episodes of the series, I know this adaptation is miles ahead of the movie adaptation. Miles ahead. So far, it is definitely exceeding my expectations. And I definitely cannot wait to finish it.
Finish it so we can talk!!! 🙂