While The Addams Family does a nice job of bringing the instantly-recognizable characters to life and has a good balance of humor, the plot itself is a little bit forgettable and the novelty of the concept tends to get lost after the first act. However, the movie does a nice job of carrying its primary theme – accepting everyone (including yourself!) for who they are – throughout the story. Though all fans of any version of The Addams Family should see this film, it may resonate more with younger audiences or fans who are new to the family.
Though not their first movie, this is the first full-length animated movie for the members of the Addams family. The iconic characters, originally created by Charles Addams, are instantly recognizable, and well-cast are the voice actors who bring these famous characters to life. Families of all ages can enjoy this take on the creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky, and altogether ooky Addams family!
While The Addams Family does a nice job of bringing the instantly-recognizable characters to life and has a good balance of humor, the plot itself is a little bit forgettable and the novelty of the concept tends to get lost after the first act. However, the movie does a nice job of carrying its primary theme – accepting everyone (including yourself!) for who they are – throughout the story.
Before we go more in-depth, take a look at Universal’s official description and the movie’s trailer –
“Get ready to snap your fingers! The Addams Family is back in their 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.” – Universal’s official description
Directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, The Addams Family includes the voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, and Allison Janney. The movie runs an hour and 27 minutes.
The Addams Family begins with Morticia (voiced by Charlize Theron) preparing for her wedding day. The movie does not hold back with its campiness and dark humor. Be sure to notice the contents of Morticia’s makeup! It’s a humorous scene set to Christina Aguilera’s “Haunted Heart.” (Check out the special features for a lyric video of the track.)
Morticia is thrilled to be marrying Gomez (Isaac), but the wedding does not go as planned. The local villagers are upset about the unusual couple and chase them out of town. Though saddened by their rejection, Morticia and Gomez are pleased to at least have each other.
The opening scene, which serves as a prologue of sorts, is one of the movie’s best. It sets the tone of the film, introduces its two leads, and lays the foundation for the story’s positive theme of acceptance. In a delightful move, the prologue scene ends with the couple meeting Lurch and finding their new haunted and hateful home.
The rest of the film takes place in the present day. Morticia and Gomez now have two children, Wednesday (Moretz) and Pugsley (Woflhard). Wednesday is beginning to question what “normal” life is like and wonders about the possibilities of attending public school, while Pugsley, with help from his father and Uncle Fester (Kroll), prepares a traditional family dance. That dance is a rite of passage, and Gomez anticipates the arrival of the entire Addams family for Pugsley’s ceremony.
The Addams’ haunted abode sits just on top of a mountain that overlooks a small, idyllic village. Unbeknownst to the family, TV home makeover guru Margaux (Janney) is about to host a live televised event to reveal her work on the village, and unbeknownst to Margaux, the view of the Addams’ mansion overlooking the village is about to ruin her cookie-cutter home reveal. The horrific mansion and the unwillingness of the Addams family to conform to her vision is enough to drive Margaux crazy.
And . . . that’s about it for the primary plot. Margaux wants everyone to conform, and the Addams family have no interest in doing so. Margaux then attempts to force the kooky family to change their ways. There are also subplots about Pugsley fearing he will let his father down and Wednesday wanting some independence from her mother. Unfortunately, the novelty of the concept gets rather lost after the first act as these three storylines take center stage. Yep, in terms of story, that’s about all there is.
The simplicity of the plot, though leading to a rather forgettable story overall, really allows the movie’s theme and takeaway message to stand out clearly. All three of the central storylines revolve around accepting yourself and those around you for who they are. The members of the Addams family don’t change who they are just to please someone else, even if the person trying to change them is a family member. At the end of the day, the characters stay true to themselves, and the movie encourages viewers to do the same.
Also well done are the animation and the casting. Each member of the Addams family is easy to identify, and the animation style closely resembles past versions of the characters. The unique look of the Addams family is even more sharp and apparent when other “normal” characters are presented next to them.
The movie has also done a nice job with the casting. Charlize Theron adopts the Morticia accent and speech patterns with ease, and Oscar Isaac supplies all of Gomez’s typical enthusiasm and excitement. Nick Kroll is a good match for Uncle Fester. Both actors cast for the children have a history of working in the horror genre. Chloe Grace Moretz began her acting career in The Amityville Horror and has since appeared in films like Let Me In and Dark Shadows. She also took the lead role in 2013’s remake of Carrie. Finn Wolfhard has appeared in both chapters of It and stars in the Netflix series Stranger Things. Both Moretz and Wolfhard feel like natural fits for the roles of the Addams children. Speaking of It, The Addams Family includes a clever nod to Pennywise the dancing clown when Wednesday finds a red balloon. All in all, excellent casting!
Overall, The Addams Family presents an excellent cast, recognizable animation, and a strong take home message in its story’s theme. The theme of accepting differences is clear in all three of the movie’s main plot points; however, the novelty of this being a story about the creepy and kooky (and so forth) Addams family gets lost in a rather simple and forgettable story. Though all fans of any version of The Addams Family should see this film, it may resonate more with younger audiences or fans who are new to the family.
Is There a Scene After the Credits?
There is an animated spoof of the credits from the 1964 The Addams Family television show as this movie’s credits begin.
Special Features
- Welcome to the Family (6:03) Co-Directors Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon take viewers through the history of The Addams Family’s characters and origins, while the movie’s vocal cast discuss bringing their animated characters to life. The feature also looks at the personalities of the Addams’ very living mansion and Ichabod the tree.
- Life of a Scene (3:22) – This feature takes viewers through the making of a scene from start to finish. The feature takes a short clip from early in the movie and shows its development through the storyboard, layout, animation, lighting, and scoring stages. It also offers an explanation about the role of each stage of development in the animation process.
- Charades with Thing (3:32) – In this cute game, Thing has viewers guess the answers to his Charades clues. Viewers are given multiple choice options. It’s designed to appeal to all ages!
- Addams Family Throwback (1:05) – This feature discusses the 1930s origins of The Addams Family and looks at some of Charles Addams’ original animations of the family.
- “Haunted Heart” Lyric Video (2:50) – Check out the lyric video for Christina Aguilera’s song “Haunted Heart” heard in the movie’s opening scene.
- “My Family” Lyric Video (1:05) Here is the lyric video to the Migos, Karol G, Rock Mafia, and Snoop Dogg compilation and Addams Family-inspired song “My Family” heard throughout the movie.
- Deleted and Extended Scenes (6:14 in total)
- “Joan of Arc” – Wednesday pronounces judgment on some of her dolls and has Socrates help her carry out their sentences.
- “The Truant Officer” – Pugsley kidnaps the truant officer who comes to report that the Addams children must legally attend school. Wednesday is intrigued by the possibilities.
- “Pugsley Bee Beard” – Gomez and Fester help train Pugsley for his upcoming dance.
- “Assimilatte” – Margaux encounters several members of the Addams family at the local coffee shop.
The release comes with a variety of special features meant to entertain viewers of all ages. While younger fans may enjoy “Charades with Thing,” older viewers may appreciate features like “Welcome to the Family” and “Addams Family Throwback” that explore the history of The Addams Family. The deleted and extended scenes are left unfinished and interestingly resemble an animated storyboard. “Life of a Scene” teaches viewers how an animated film is built by showing the development of one scene from a storyboard to the final, finished product. That feature, coupled with the unfinished deleted and extended scenes, really helps to teach viewers about the development of an animated film in an easy-to-understand way. All in all, this movie offers a solid set of special features.
Takeaway
While The Addams Family does a nice job of bringing the instantly-recognizable characters to life and has a good balance of humor, the plot itself is a little bit forgettable and the novelty of the concept tends to get lost after the first act. However, the movie does a nice job of carrying its primary theme – accepting everyone (including yourself!) for who they are – throughout the story. Though all fans of any version of The Addams Family should see this film, it may resonate more with younger audiences or fans who are new to the family.
