The Addams Are Back!
The new Addams family animated movie released this passed weekend and of course I had go to watch it. Growing up I used to see old episodes of the classic show with my grandmother, and also fell in love with the cartoon. I have fond memories of the shows and even the live action films that followed. Once I saw the trailer for the new animated film, I knew I would be in that seat eating popcorn. Now as always, lets jump into the pros and cons of The Addams Family.
PROS
The movie's animation is beautiful! The design of the characters are based on their original print where they were a single panel gag in the New Yorker Cartoons which was first released in 1938.
The voice acting is exactly what you would imagine it is. I give the actors all the credit for really diving into their characters. Wednesday voice actor really brought the monotone, lifeless vibe out of Wednesday and it fits perfectly. The over the top lovey dovey Gomez is equally as captivating on the opposite side of the spectrum. Even the "villain" brings something to the table in terms of diverse characteristics. Overall the voice acting really kept me engaged.
The absurdity! The situations in which the Addam's family find themselves in is absurd, and that's what makes it brilliant. Watching crossbows imbale family members, explosions causing your son to fall into a greenhouse is just fun! It takes you away from the everyday comedy and brings you into the cartoon universe. In short, it's all insanity for a good laugh. The jokes! I absolutely loved the jokes in this movie as well as the visual gags that the artist provided. There is unfortunately a downside to these jokes though and we will be getting into that in the next section.
CONS Unfortunately this movie does have a few flaws that will definitely leave some audiences members feeling unsatisfied.
The plot is a little all over the place. There are a few subplots revolving around Wednesday and Pugsley finding out who they are as individuals. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the subplot, the overarching plot felt very normal. I believe the plots are dated. They were taboo back in the sixties and even in the nineties, but in the two-thousands the "wow" factor is lost to the modern audience.
I have the biggest issue with the trailers to this film. Some fantastic jokes in this movie are completely ruined by the amount of advertising the movie had. Showcasing some of your best jokes in the movie truly ruins the punch line and thats how I felt watching those specific scenes. I wanted to laugh, but I had already laughed about it four months prior. It puts a bad taste in your mouth.
OVERALL
The Addam's Family (2019) is a family fun movie. Don't go in expecting it to be a heart wrenching, deep story where you're going to cry to your dog afterwards. Go in expecting a silly, over the top, fun movie. Sometimes we need a silly story in our lives, especially with all the dramatic, action films and tv shows we all love so much.
Rating: 6/10 - Spooky enough to interest me, not enough to scare me.