Addams Family Values (1993)

Unfortunately this site doesn't have the first film, so this’ll have to be a two in one review so I’ll have the personal satisfaction of reviewing both films. What's weird is that intofilm has both of the animated films but not both the live action films, I haven’t seen both of the animated ones, and won’t any times soon - from what I hear they’re both horrible. Just for personal satisfaction I'm going to review the first one first and this one second. Anyway onto the review! // Addams Family - 5 stars // Written by Charles Adams, Caroline Thompson and Larry Wilson Adapting the 1964 show, The Addams Family (1991) sees the titular family as their uncle Fester returns from the Bermuda Triangle, but little do they know that Fester is actually a con artist who - spoilers - is revealed to have amnesia. Notable stars include Angelica Houston - The Witches -, Christopher Lloyd - from Back to the Future - and Raul Julia - mainly known for this film series. I felt both films had a very charming cartoonishly dark sense to them, Can I do both new they could bend the laws of its actually a little bit just for the sake of entertaining the audience that's darkly, almost surreal charms, to save the fancy prose, The Addams Family series is what I mean when I say I like dark humour, particularly the first one. Is talking specifically more about the first film I felt it did very well to establish who the atoms is were as people and as a family, which is surprisingly healthy despite being well… psychos, to put it in a blunt way. It also establishes a tone that the film series sticks to in its two movie run. // Addams Family Values - 5 stars // Addams FamilyValues (1993) keeps the same major cast, adding in Joan Cusack - from perks of being a Wallflower - and director but taking out Caroline Thompson and Larry Wilson for Paul Rudnick, I don't think this writer change does not work in the film's detriment but it does change some stuff, like in favour of a more sombre Darkest Hour it prefers to make it more silly but not an insincere way. I think that's part of the second film charm for me, it makes you laugh while also taking it seriously at the same time. I am going to talk a bit about this movies story, now you've already got just what I feel about it so if you want a spoiler free review you practically already got it. The story of the Addams Family Values deals with a lot with themes of toxic relationships, which I can get behind, a lot of people need to know about toxic relationships and the warning signs. An early sign that this film deals with that topic is that Fester rushes interrelationship with a woman named Amanda Buckman, that's so close to be a swear word I’m glad it's just it's kids film. A more overt sign that this is at the wedding scene which is early in the film Fester gives a speech about how much he loves Amanda and talks about how he wants to be her slave you know it could contribute to a why he rushes into the relationship so fast, maybe having an ambivalent attachment style - if you’re really curious google it - and Amanda that says “ditto” more or less disregarding how Fester feels. The story progresses and Fester gets further and further away from his family wreaking havoc on the Addams’, especially the newborn of the family who turns normal for a while. If you could listen to me while I say this then you would know an Addams never becomes normal unless something really bad is happening. The B plot of the story is that is Wednesday and Pugsley going to Camp Chippewa, I have a fan theory that this didn’t help the situation. A highlight for me about the film is the family drama - especially Gomez I love him, he has a kind of natural confidence about him that takes control of the room without being domineering or insacure in anyway. Gomez's and Morticia's relationship also contracts the relationship between faster and this Amanda woman, being mutually supportive and healthy unlike Fester’s relationship with Amanda, who also happened to be a serial killer. Frankly I am surprised that this has a PG of all film ratings, with it’s references to sex, however there’s no sex explicitly shown on screen but if you don’t like sex it might be irritating to say the least. That’s about what I have to say about the live action film series, I feel it unlikely that I’ll ever approach the animated ones given its reputation.