★★½ (2.5/5)
Here’s a review of The Addams Family (2019): The Addams Family (2019) – “Kooky, Spooky, but Ultimately Lukewarm” the addams family 2019
The voice cast is clearly having fun. Isaac and Theron ooze dark romantic chemistry, and Moretz captures Wednesday’s deliciously morbid monotone. The animation style—all sharp angles, pinched silhouettes, and a color palette of purples, blacks, and grays—is visually inventive, especially during the family’s Rube Goldberg-esque morning routine. There are also a handful of genuinely clever gags, like Lurch’s running “You rang?” bit and Cousin Itt stealing the show with a flamenco dance. ★★½ (2
This Addams Family isn’t truly creepy or kooky —they’re just nice goths with a hobby for torture. Wednesday’s arc, in particular, feels watered down: she wants to attend public school and make a friend, which is relatable but robs her of her deliciously sinister edge. The film neuters the family’s dark satire in favor of broad, kid-friendly comedy. Uncle Fester, for example, is reduced to a flatulent goofball. There are also a handful of genuinely clever
The script is surprisingly safe. For a family that celebrates pain, chaos, and the unconventional, the plot is formulaic to a fault. The Addams must defend their home from a reality-TV-style “perfect” neighborhood (led by Allison Janney’s blandly villainous Margaux Needler), leading to a climax about… embracing your weirdness. Yes, the core message is fine, but it’s delivered with all the edge of a daycare poster. Where is the bite? The satirical wit of Charles Addams’ original cartoons or the 90s films? Instead, we get slapstick chases and pop-song needle drops.