THE ADDAMS FAMILY – A Review by Cynthia Flores
The Addams Family from Universal is the first animation feature of this iconic set of characters. We first met the macabre family in Charles Addams cartoons in The New Yorker in 1938. I grew up reading collections of his comics about Gomez and his kooky clan. Then we got to watch the live-action version on television in 1964 starring Carolyn Jones as Morticia and John Astin as Gomez. I’m so glad that this new film stays true to the original aesthetics of the comics instead of the TV show.
In this film, the whole family that we have known and loved is back. There is Gomez Addams (Oscar Isaac) the head of the house. He’s married to Morticia (Charlize Theron) who is doing her best to raise her two children Wednesday (Chloe Grace Moretz) and Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard) to be good creepy kids. With the help of their large butler Lurch (Conrad Vernon), crazy Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll), and odd grandmama (Bette Midler) the family is getting ready to celebrate Pugsley becoming a man and doing the family sword dance. It is their version of a Bar Mitzvah. I loved the way most of the movie is done in a pallet of grays and blacks that work perfectly for these characters. Trouble starts when they meet and come against the colorful Margaux Needler (Allison Janney) who is a big-haired home improvement star. She has created the pink and pastel town of Assimilation in the drained swamp below the Addams family’s gothic black home on the hill. She has fifty homes to sell on her live season finale or she will be financially ruined. So when the Addams family declines her offer to spruce up their dark home she has to eliminate them instead.
I was in a theater filled with mostly children for this screening. However much they liked seeing this funny, outlandish family dealing with the new neighbors it was the parents that I heard laughing out loud along with me.
So get ready to snap your fingers because I give The Adams Family a B+ for bringing back this iconic first family of Halloween.
Directed by Conrad Vernon, Greg Tiernan
Written by Matt Lieberman, Charles Addams, Erica Rivinoja, Pamela Pettler
Rated PG
Selig Rating B+
Running Time 1hr 27min
Animation / Comedy
Wide Release Oct 11th
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler Allison Janney, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara
The Selig Rating Scale:
A – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
B – Good movie
C – OK movie
D – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
F – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
