Monday, January 03, 2005

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

I've been meaning to say a few words about this movie for about two weeks now. I saw the movie with three of my four kids and they all enjoyed it but unlike the Harry Potter movies - none of them really wanted to see it a second time.

I've read a few of the Lemony Snicket books and while I find them very witty - I also have an awful time getting myself to finish one. The kids feel the same way.

Many people first assumed that these stories were cashing in on the Harry Potter book frenzy and to a degree that's true. The books do appeal to the same people that read Harry Potter and you can't get away from the fact that Harry was an orphan who finds himself in a fantastic world and that the Baudelaire's also find themselves orphaned and thrust into the fantastic situations and locations. There are three Baudelaire's and Harry is linked into the triumverate of Harry, Ron and Hermione.

My kids put their finger on what the big difference between the two sets of stories. Harry Potter has Hogwarts where he can feel safe and at home. The Baudelaire's have no such safe haven and that disturbs children. Lemony Snicket comes off as darker than Roahl Dahl and that's saying something.

Anyway - I just wanted to mention these observations.

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