The Addamses look so right that it is easy to forgive almost anything.
Nerdy Up North Podcast
The setup
Gomez Addams is overjoyed when his long-lost brother Fester apparently returns home. The rest of the family gradually become suspicious as the supposed reunion turns out to be connected to a plan targeting the Addams fortune.
The Addams Family is so tied to childhood memories for many of us who grew up in the 90s. We didn't know that we were watching a remake of an old black and white comic strip turned TV show but we didn't care.
At its heart this movie is the story of a weird family that loves each other. They also might have magical powers/inhuman durability but the movie doesn't really belabour that point. It's much more interested in making dark and sometimes raunchy puns that definitely flew over my head as a kid but I'm the adults in the room were loving it.
Watching it more critically exposes a few issues, mainly with the plot and pacing, but the casting is still incredible. Anjelica Huston's Morticia feels definitive, Raul Julia completely understands Gomez and Christina Ricci's Wednesday is already becoming the version of the character people remember. Christopher Lloyd doesn't really get to shine in this one due to the estranged brother storyline but he looks perfect in the part.
The whole film has a beautifully dark look without ever becoming miserable. We do think the sequel improves on it, which probably says more about Addams Family Values being excellent than this film being poor.
Positives
Near-perfect casting; brilliant production design; Morticia and Gomez; Christina Ricci; macabre humour that remains family-friendly.
Negatives
The plot is less interesting than the characters; pacing is uneven; the sequel arguably does almost everything better.
Verdict
The Addams Family is a very good film elevated by phenomenal casting and an identity so strong that three decades later its characters still feel definitive.
