This new animated feature about the Addams Family captures both the creepiness and dark humor of Charles Addams’s brilliant cartoons. The title for this film could have been Mosters vs. HGTV. A massive new housing development opens near the Addams Family house and skullduggery results. The star of the housing development, Margoux Needler (Allison Janney), intends to destroy the Addams’s house which she sees as an eye-sore. Meanwhile, Gomez (Oscar Isaac) trains his son, Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard), in the Addams Family tradition of the Mazurka, a rite of passage for Addams males. Wednesday (Chloe Grace Moretz) attends the local Middle School and learns many valuable lessons. I also enjoyed Morticia Addams (Charlize Theron) and her icy demeanor.
If you’re in the mood for a campy romp with a Halloween vibe, I’d recommend The Addams Family. Are you an Addams Family fan? Do you have a favorite Halloween movie? GRADE: B
VOICE CAST:
Oscar Isaac as Gomez Addams, Morticia’s husband.
Charlize Theron as Morticia Addams, Gomez’s wife.
Chloë Grace Moretz as Wednesday Addams, Gomez and Morticia’s daughter.
Finn Wolfhard as Pugsley Addams, Gomez and Morticia’s son.
Nick Kroll as Uncle Fester, Gomez’s brother.
Bette Midler as Grandmama, Gomez and Fester’s mother.
Conrad Vernon as Lurch, the Addams Family’s butler.
Vernon also voices a priest that presides over Gomez and Mortica’s wedding; the spirit that haunted the abandoned asylum that Gomez and Morticia move into (who often threatened anyone in to “Get Out!”, much to the family’s delight); and Dr. Flambe, a devil-like relative of the Addams family with fire-like abilities.
Snoop Dogg as Cousin Itt, Gomez and Fester’s hairy cousin.
Allison Janney as Margaux Needler, a sly and greedy reality TV show host and homemaking guru.
Elsie Fisher as Parker Needler, Margaux’s neglected and rebellious daughter who befriends Wednesday.
Tituss Burgess as Glenn, Margaux’s agent.
Pom Klementieff as Layla and Kayla, twin girls who are Parker’s friends.
Chelsea Frei as Bethany, a girl who picks on Parker.
Jenifer Lewis as Great Auntie Sloom, Grandmama’s dwarfish sister who uses stilts under her dress to appeared much taller than Grandmama.
Martin Short as Grandpa Frump, Morticia’s late father who Morticia contacts through a séance.
Catherine O’Hara as Grandma Frump, Morticia’s late mother who Morticia contacts through a séance.
I liked the original Addams Family TV show in the 60s. The movie with Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston was entertaining too.
Jeff, I also enjoyed the TV series and the movie version of THE ADDAMS FAMILY. This animated feature seems to be doing well at the Box Office so there might be a sequel in the works.
I liked the movie with Julia and Huston too. Never a big fan of the series though. The writing wasn’t sharp enough. Nor The Munsters. That was an era of bad writing on TV, especially in sitcoms
Patti, I agree with you on the THE MUNSTERS. During that sit-com era, there were only three networks (and no cable!) so the captive audience had to endure some mediocre programs.
Not interested in this. I liked the movies, there were two of them. The tv show not so much. At least it was better than the Munsters. Tv sitcoms in the 60’s and 70’s were pretty terrible. I can’t remember any that were worth revisiting. We had Gilligan’s Island, F Troop, Beverley Hillbillies, Brady Bunch, Partridge Family, Hogan’s Heroes, McHales Navy. I could go on endlessly. They were all awful.
Steve, yet millions of people watched those sit-coms in the 1960s and 1970s. Few TV choices in those days…
No to this, no to the silly, badly written TV shows, and why do you spend all the time putting in the voice cast. Who cares?
Stay off my (leaf-strewn) lawn.
Rick, part of the appeal of these animated features are the stars’ voices behind the CGI,
The Big Three networks were always in competition with one another so I don’t think they’d intentionally make bad shows! I enjoyed F Troop and, once it went to reruns, Hogan’s Heroes! I’m sure there were others but I can’t remember what shows were from what era! Beverly Hillbillies?
As for the Addams Family movie, I’ll pass, even though I though the show wasn’t bad!
Bob, I heard you had a crush on Morticia back in the day!