Snicket's the ticket
A Series of Unfortunate Events soars to the top of the UK box office.
16:29 22 December 2004
With more deaths than a Quentin Tarantino movie, a dark and seedy undertone from start to finish and an ad campaign that dares the audience not to go and see the film, Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events was never guaranteed box office success.
But thanks to a masterful performance from Jim Carrey, a support cast which includes double Oscar winner Meryl Streep and the skilled fusion of adult humour within a gothic, childish carapace the film has soared to the summit of the UK box office.
Director Brad Silberling's big budget silver screen adaptation of Daniel Handler's epic 13-part series of children's books has taken an impressive 2 million in its first three days of release.
This is no mean feat in a festive film calendar that includes big hitters like The Incredibles and The Polar Express. Indeed, according to film trade magazine Screen International, Snicket has succeeded in knocking Pixar's superhero family off the top spot.
After a four-week run at number one, The Incredibles slipped down to the second spot, while Tom Hanks' CGI-heavy, entertainment-light Polar Express slipped to third.
Much-maligned Blade sequel, Blade: Trinity, starring Wesley Snipes as the Vampire-crushing all-action hero, hung on to fourth, while Phantom of the Opera remained in fifth.