I would be very shocked if there is a human on our planet that does not snap their fingers along at the appropriate places every time the theme from “The Addams Family” plays. It has permeated multiple parts of our culture, even being used at athletic competitions to keep the crowd involved in the action. It’s also hard to believe that it hasn’t really been put freshly on our screens since the two live-action films in the ‘90s, but it still seems to be at the forefront of our collective consciousness. Add to that that we are in the thick of the Halloween season, and what better time to release the property in animated form for the first time since its inception in The New Yorker magazine in 1938?
Oscar Isaacs and Charlize Theron voice the first couple of spooky and ooky in Gomez and Morticia Addams, and after they are chased out of “the old country” for being who they are, they find themselves moving into a New Jersey insane asylum with one of its former residents in Lurch (Conrad Vernon). Fast forward to where they have expanded their family with daughter Wednesday (Chloe Grace Moretz) and Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard) as they approach a rite of passage for Pugsley, inviting all of the extended family to the festivities while in the valley below, home improvement star Margaux Needler (Allison Janney) is trying to roll out her most ambitious project yet on live television, but when she finds out about the Addams Family, she makes it her mission to get rid of them at any cost.
In my comments to our vendor at this screening, I started simply with “a pleasant surprise,” and that really is the best way I can describe this film. From a well-complemented-to-its-story animation style to a story that doesn’t really waste any time (and in this day and age, even in kids’ films, this seems to be becoming a rarity) getting to the meat and potatoes of this tale of relationships, being yourself, and sticking by those that love you most. Every piece of this voice cast works, which includes Nick Kroll as Uncle Fester, Bette Midler as Grandma, and even Snoop Dogg as Cousin Itt. I found myself laughing out loud more than once as the film went on, and the fact that it nods to the incarnations that came before it while making its own way as things press forward garnered my respect fairly quickly. If you are looking for a good autumn family film (I would say from ages eight and up with parents) that will help keep the mood for All Hallows Eve, check out “The Addams Family”. It may even become part of an annual October family movie night rotation!