As we now start the 'end of the year' film season, we are offered the first of the animated films which is a freshly adopted approach of "The Addams Family". There have been many incarnations of this franchise--both live and animated, and both TV series and feature films, but this certainly holds true to the original look Charles Addams gave us in 1938.
Get ready to snap your fingers! The first family of Halloween, "The Addams Family", is back on the big screen in the first animated comedy about the kookiest family on the block. Funny, outlandish, and completely iconic, "The Addams Family" redefines what it means to be a good neighbor.
Members of the mysterious and spooky Addams Family--Gomez (Oscar Isaac), Morticia (Charlize Theron), Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard), Wednesday (Chloe Grace Moretz), Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll) and Grandmama (Bette Midler), are readily preparing for a visit from their even creepier relatives. But trouble soon arises when shady TV personality Margaux Needler (Allison Janney) realizes that the Addams' eerie hilltop mansion is standing in the way of her dream to sell all the houses in the new neighborhood.
Others to round out the cast are Snoop Dogg as Cousin It, Martin Short as Grandpa Frump, Catherine O'Hara as Grandma Frump, Tituss Burgess as Glenn, Jenifer Lewis as Great Auntie Sloom, Elsie Fisher as Parker, Conrad Vernon as Lurch and Chelsea Frei as Bethany.
This was wittily and dryly directed by Conrad Vernon ("Shrek 2" '04, "Monsters vs. Aliens" '09, "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" '12, "Sausage Party" '16) plus TV and a short and Greg Tiernan ("Thomas & Friends: Misty Island Rescue" '10, "Thomas & Friends: Pop Goes Thomas" '11, "Thomas & Friends: A Very Thomas Christmas" '12, "Thomas & Friends: Muddy Matters" '13, "Sausage Party" '16) plus others, TV and videos. These filmmakers had to have done their homework in that the feel of these characters were so reminiscent of the actual original that it was like looking at a New Yorker cartoon strip back in the day. Charles Addams' The Addams Family was published for years in that iconic magazine. Certainly these two directors are not foreign to an animated process--see their resume, so they were able to pull off this film's original feel with ease. It was equally dryly written by a relative newcomer to feature films, Matt Lieberman, based on a story by Lieberman, Erica Rivinoja and Conrad Vernon, which is based on characters created by Charles Addams. Unlike the previous incarnations, including the TV series "The Addams Family" in 1964 and two feature films, "The Addams Family" in 1991 and "Addams Family Values" in 1993, this rendition of the kooky family was eerily reminiscent of the powder dry humor and look of the original which started in 1938. Because of the dry humor, some filmgoers might not get the humor, especially if all they have seen is the aforementioned films. I believe this is the realistic humor Charles Addams was attempting to emulate to his audiences, and it truly shows in this incarnation. The cast was brilliantly chosen, especially that of David Isaac as Gomez. He portrayed him perfectly. Nick Kroll as Uncle Fester was also effective, but considering his exhaustive work on animated films performing different voices, it should be no surprise. This actually starts with Gomez and Morticia getting married and having to leave yet another town being chased out only to eventually find an abandoned old, creepy mansion to reside. Then it skips to 13 years later where their lives continue. There are a couple of small areas of choppiness, but otherwise a rock solid storyline.
Whether you've seen the old TV series or had seen the films, or not, this is a must see. It's not what you're used to seeing, but it is the one that was made according to the way that Charles Addams would've wanted it made. It shows this kooky, macabre and dark family that is being accused of only being different. This is a great expose of we are all different in one form or another.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG 87mins.
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