A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017)

Travers finds the series inspirational and endearing despite its bleak premise. He especially praises the Baudelaire children’s resilience and the production design’s vivid, carefully realized darkness.

Saraiya praises the series as a weird, wonderful, bewitching modern fairy tale. She especially applauds how the performances, production design, set pieces, and pacing cohere into a complete vision.

The critic says the adaptation largely nails the books and is entertaining despite some baggy, repetitive episodes. He especially praises its witty wordplay and Patrick Warburton’s dry narration.

The critic finds the series entertaining and its time well spent. They praise its ghoulish whimsy and Neil Patrick Harris’s exuberant Count Olaf.

The critic finds the series a perversely delightful and engaging adaptation. Neil Patrick Harris’s inventive comic performance as Count Olaf stands out for praise.

Adams finds the Netflix adaptation a much better home for the story, though its early episodes become repetitive. He especially praises Patrick Warburton’s dry, deadpan portrayal of Lemony Snicket.

The critic finds the series a delightful, stylish adaptation, despite the young leads sometimes seeming flat. He singles out Daniel Handler’s writing and the show’s gorgeous visuals for praise.

Wollaston finds the series smart, funny and faithful to the books, though he never fully gets drawn into its world. He praises its Burtonesque look and inventive sets, but says Count Olaf lacks menace.

The critic finds the series engaging, despite its repetitive structure, because Harris’s exaggerated Count Olaf keeps it lively. They praise how his conspicuously bad disguises balance comic absurdity with the menace of Olaf’s power.

The review presents the adaptation as extremely faithful, though not to every viewer’s taste. Its faithfulness to the novels is the clearest point of praise.

The review finds the series watchable but only intermittently engaging, with an awkward split between adult and child audiences. It singles out Neil Patrick Harris’s nuanced, funny performance as Count Olaf for praise.

The critic calls the series a brave, funny, imaginative success and an absolute treat. They especially praise its faithful adaptation and its deft balance of darkness and humor.

The critic finds the adaptation an entertaining, faithful take that should delight longtime fans, though its tone may exhaust newcomers. The writing’s acerbic wit and dark humor stand out, while the young actors’ performances feel overly precious and two-dimensional.

The critic finds the series bonkers but brilliant and well worth watching. They especially praise its balance of genuine darkness and laugh-out-loud comedy, along with Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf.

Giroux finds the series a big-hearted, entertaining blend of goofy humor and darkness, despite some unevenness. He particularly praises the cast and the visually distinctive sets and costumes.

Blumenfeld finds the series a witty, visually distinctive adaptation that largely captures the books’ charm, though its emotional moments and some performances are uneven. He especially praises Neil Patrick Harris’s versatile, note-perfect Count Olaf.