I think Jim Carrey is going for the "longest movie title" award this year considering his last two films.

By the way is Lemony Snicket some derivative of Jimminy Cricket?

This movie is probably your best bet for a good holiday season movie that wont go into overkill with good tidings of christmas cheer. Its got plenty of bits and pieces of darkness to even out its essentially uplifting spirit.
With Childrens' Authors adaptations being all the rage from Harry Potter to Polar Express, here comes another film using the same gimmick. But its closer to Brothers Grimm in story telling and has plot devices that actually instill suspense, something the harry potter films fail at miserably.
The movie is kind of a cross between Edward Scissorhands and Hansel and Gretel. Mr. "Sleepy Hollow" designed the look so the movie gives a strong tim burtonish impression. This dark quality is shrewdly complemented by the contrasting musical score by Thomas Newman that is bouncing with irresistably vibrant, optimistic brightness.
Jude Law is cast the best as the narrator. Having a delivery as fluid and elegantly accentuated as his, its surprising he hasnt been utilized in the voice over department more often in films. Never a word rolls off his tongue without sounding extremely attractive and gracefully poetic.
The kids were okay. The boy did have problems with being convincing in HIS deliveries. One suspects he was cast from his sullen facial expressions than from his readings.

On to Jim. Jim should not be allowed to play characters that have too much character. This includes comic book characters, stereotypical caricatures, and fairy tale characters. The guy is wacky enough playing straight arrow joes in Liar, Liar, Me Myself and Irene, The Truman Show etc. He doesnt need the help. And especially since he just finished an intense restraining order that came with playing his subdued character in Eternal sunshine, one feels he might have been stretching his loony-toon limbs for relief in this film. Like The Mask and Ace Ventura his Count Olaf is way over the top. Almost like he was trying to remind us viewers why we ever liked him to begin with. He pulls out all his old-Jim Carrey-school tricks once again, even a schtick in which he imitates a dinosaur that was his very debut act in In Living Color's first episode. He never comes across as Count Olaf rather than just Jim Carrey doing an impression. Which is ironic since Count Olaf does quite a bit of impersonating in the film. Much of which requires more than a little effort on the viewers part to remember its count olaf not "Jim Carrey" who is supposedly doing that fake accent and wearing that fake hairpiece.
The funniest lines however, are given to the one among them who cant speak proper english.

Despite jim Carrey, (who is still pretty funny, if not believable, when he's over the top)the movie is rather enjoyable. Mostly because it never gets too frivolous, which tends to be a habit of holiday-time family films. The fact that it's premise consists of three young children suffering the recent loss of their parents and the alienation from their home while repeatedly trying to thwart an evil beneficiary's plan to kill them allow for a greater appreciation of, and welcome for, the brighter, sentimental, feel-good moments in this film, that might have otherwise been taken for granted.

it's all well and good but...carrey's still in it you know

Good god you're wordy sonofabitch. Here let me help: Lemony Snicket = holiday goodness, despite Jim Carrey's overdone shtick. The End.

I'm sorry that santa yet again failed to deliver on the box of intellect you ask for every year, but dont take it on my long-windedness. After all being a jackass about it won't improve your chances for next christmas.

I wish I were as funny as you.

Let's have a vote. What's the best slogan for MEbossyouNOT?

1. Boring people on the internet since 2002
2. Emperor of own psychosis
3. Supermarket (of hot gas) to the world
4. MedrippyouSnot
5. MEunemployedRodgerEbertNOT
6. YOUwanttoshootyourselfintheheadbecauseofME
7. MEflunkedoutofjuniorcollegeandlivingwithmommyyouNOT
8. MEwaitingtablesatdennyswhilewritinghorriblescreenplayyouNOT
9. People pretend to like me, they really do!
10. Proof that the word diatribe is dirty

When the joke started I had my doubts but it won me over in the end it brought a little grin kudos.

I have to admit the list was pretty funny.
Funny enough for me to actually wish it were true.

except for two things:
1. I dont remember using the word diatribe ever. Thanks for the opportunity.

2. Unlike roger Ebert, I have great taste in films and I am a sexy m.f. Otherwise we have a lot in common.

"Morons, your bus is leaving!"

Diatribe isn't a word you've used, it's what you do.

so you're a moron if you don't know what the word diatribe is, you fucking...uh...word elitist!!?? I had to look it up and I'm like super smart!!