The Addams Family (2019)

Jeffrey Lyles started his review by saying, “There’s clearly something special with The Addams Family. It’s one of those properties that works no matter the format whether a cartoon, TV series, movie or its latest iteration an animated movie that’s worthy of two snaps up.”

The character designs might be upsetting to some familiar with the characters from the TV show and the previous live-action movie. They are far more in staying true with the original designs from Charles Addams’ 1938 comic strip.

The 2019 animated movie is less an origin story on the family and more the start of their reboot in their franchise. Gomez (Oscar Isaac) and Morticia (Charlize Theron) have made a home from an isolated deserted insane asylum with their children Wednesday (Chloe Grace Moretz) and Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard), butler Lurch (Conrad Vernon), Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll), Grandma (Bette Midler) and the disembodied hand Thing. Listen closely for the fun casting of rapper Snoop Dogg as Cousin It.

Screenwriters Pamela Pettler and Matt Lieberman get the spirit of the source material with social misfits that have no idea they don’t fit into society while ironically being completely welcoming to any stranger they encounter.

If anything, the script is a little too determined for an 86-minute movie with three subplots that may have been the story for three movies. Every character gets their moment, but the focus is more on the children and not on Gomez and Morticia. Lyles said, “Chalk that up to the animated format, which would be more compelling to a new generation of younger Addams Family fans than their parents or grandparents.”

Wednesday and Pugsley both must deal with being forced to be something they’re not with unplanned pressure from their parents. This is shown in the main story with home makeover reality actress Margaux Needler, voiced by Allison Janney, the designer of the original community Assimilation, who all don’t think the Addams Family fit in. Lyles noted, “The script cleverly mocks the sheep-like mentality of social media and the corrosive need to fit in with the loudest voices in the room/online.”

Directors Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon do a great job with animation.

This new film on the franchise should prove inviting enough to attract new fans while also staying true to the source material for longtime fans. With the sequel that was recently released, there’s plenty of reasons to be excited for this enjoyable reboot.

I don’t understand why critics didn’t really like this movie. I saw it on Hulu a few months back and I enjoyed it. I think everyone should like this movie because this is a good movie for the whole family can watch together. Maybe old school fans may not like it as much, but I think everyone should give this a chance. Check out the film on Hulu and enjoy yourselves.

How is the sequel that was recently released? You’ll have to wait until next week for the finale of “The Addams Family Month” to find out.