I loved the first animated Addams Family film. It was perfectly in tune with the original show that I’d grown up watching and better than the movies. So when I heard they were making a sequel, I was very excited. The trailer gave me some ideas about the movie and I thought it sounded interesting. After seeing the film, I found it as fun as the first movie while not as complex. For families, children will love the characters while there are lots of fun little details for the grown-up fans. And the music, animation, and performances are excellent.
The Addams Family 2 is a computer-animated supernatural dark comedy road trip film directed by Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon, co-directed by Kevin Pavlovic, and written by Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Ben Queen, and Susanna Fogel. It is the sequel to the 2019 film and is based on the characters created by Charles Addams. In the sequel, Morticia (Charlize Theron) and Gomez (Oscar Isaac) are dismayed that Wednesday (Chloe Grace Moretz) and Pugsley (Javon ‘Wana’ Walton) are growing up, skipping family dinners and overly busy with “scream time”. To reclaim their bond, they decide to cram the children, Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll), Thing, and Lurch (Conrad Vernon) in the family’s haunted camper and go on a road trip across the United States for one last family vacation, leaving Grandmother (Bette Midler) in charge of the house. Along the way, they encounter Cousin It (Snoop Dogg) and other crazy characters. They also encounter lawyer Rupert (Wallace Shawn), who tells them Wednesday is really the daughter of a scientist named Cyrus Strange (Bill Hader). Will Wednesday leave the family entirely after she discovers this or will the family stick together?
One of the key reasons that the Addams family are so entertaining and have remained topical is that they emphasize family love even with each of them being different. The animated version carries on that trend, even in the sequel. This film does focus more on Wednesday and how different she feels from the rest of her family but in the end, it focuses on how it’s okay to be different even in your own family and be loved no matter what. The Addams family always captures that theme and this film is no exception.
Another reason this is so fun is that while children will love the characters, animation, and music, adults will love the details, especially fans of the original show and fans of all things spooky. There are a few references throughout the movie, like Gomez reading The Shining or a sign for Sleepy Hollow. I would have to watch the movie at least one more time to catch all of those clever details, so fans will really appreciate the level of design and writing that goes into the story and the visual cues. Most of all it adds up to creepy fun for the entire family.
The animation and music are brilliant. There are times when with just a look, a character can demonstrate just an emotion. Those subtle emotions and design really show how skilled the design team is at their job. The music choices are catchy and most of it will make you want to dance, especially when Lurch gets an opportunity to shine, playing piano for a gang of bikers. And Snoop Dogg gets his chance to show off as well, as one of the final scenes in the film.
While performance is harder to gauge in animated characters, the voice actors do a wonderful portrayal of the iconic characters. Charlize Theron and Oscar Isaac embody Morticia and Gomez brilliantly, making me love them almost as much as the actors from the original show. Chloe Grace Moretz is excellent as Wednesday and I can’t imagine anyone else as Pugsley besides Javon Walton. Bette Midler is hilarious as Grandmother, a blend of her character from Hocus Pocus and the character from the creator, Charles Addams. Conrad Vernon as Lurch is one of my favorite characters and Nick Kroll is fantastic as Uncle Fester, even as he morphs into a strange creature. We feel every emotion from this talented group of people.
As fun as the movie is, it is fairly predictable, not unsurprising for a family movie. Most adults will figure out the path of the film and even the conclusion to the film. The story is also not as complex as the original. It is far more straightforward and far more focused on Wednesday. While it is still fun, that causes the film to be just a touch less engaging than the first animated movie. It could be due to the focus on one member of the family, which lessens the complexity but does add to the predictability. Still, the film is fun, the animation is awesome, and the acting is incredible.
If you love the Addams Family or loved the first The Addams Family animated film, you will want to see this with the entire family. Children will love the animation and music, as well as the silly jokes while adults will enjoy the moments of sly humor and tiny details added to the visual cues. As I said, the performances are rich with emotion, the animation is brilliantly designed, and the music will make you want to dance or sing along. I loved the fun and I loved the road trip style of the movie. The movie makes me remember the original and fall in love with the characters all over again.
Rating: 4 out of 5 DNA strands.
Official Website: The Addams Family 2 | Official Website | October 01 2021
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The Addams Family 2
Genre: Animation/Adventure/Comedy
Everyone’s favorite spooky family is back in the animated comedy sequel, The Addams Family 2. In this all new movie we find Morticia and Gomez distraught that their children are growing up, skipping family dinners, and totally consumed with “scream time.” To reclaim their bond they decide to cram Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester and the crew into their haunted camper and hit the road for one last miserable family vacation. Their adventure across America takes them out of their element and into hilarious run-ins with their iconic cousin, It, as well as many new kooky characters. What could possibly go wrong? THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2 stars Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Kroll, Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton, Wallace Shawn, with Snoop Dogg as ‘IT’, with Bette Midler, Bill Hader, is directed by Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon, produced by Gail Berman, Conrad Vernon, Danielle Sterling, Alison O’Brien, and executive produced by Kevin Miserocchi, Jonathan Glickman, Cassidy Lange, Andrew Mittman, Aaron L. Gilbert, and Jason Cloth. THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2E will open exclusively in theaters on Friday, October 1, 2021.
ONE-LINER: In this sequel to the 2019 animated film, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, The Addams get tangled up in more wacky adventures and find themselves involved in hilarious run-ins with all sorts of unsuspecting characters.
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