La Famille Addams

Look, I like kids films. Simple, funny. Pixar nails it, Illumination is a close second, but I'll say that even the subpar Abominable was better than this. This was...what? Halloween? A dig on HGTV? A chance for actors to make a paycheck between blockbusters by lending their voices to make a decent cast? I rate kids movies based on the reactions by my kids. I've never seen my kid sit for 90 minutes waiting for a punchline then look at me wondering if we're supposed to leave or stay for the movie to make a point.

Not sure what movie the majority of the critics have seen, for I saw a fairly entertaining reimagining of everyone's favorite family of ghouls that was not only very funny but also had a surprising amount of heart to it. It is not a great, but it is solid enough and the casting for the Addams proves to be brilliantly selected.

I am an avid fan of the Addams family, and rewatch their movies each Halloween season. When I saw there was to be an animated re-make, I pictured it to be a mixture of the timelessness of their previous films and the entertainment of The Nightmare Before Christmas - fun for the whole family. However, as a young adult, I was not in the least bit entertained. The story line was definitely created for children, depicting the importance of inclusion/acceptance and family bond. Which I'm sure is very important for the younger generations. Yet I just was unable to connect with my long-standing enthusiasm for the Addams family during this movie.

Gomes and Morticia Addams move to a derelict mansion in New Jersey surrounded by a marsh and hidden by a fog in the top of a mountain to raise a family. Thirteen years later, Gomes is teaching his son Pugslay the saber tradition of the Addams family while Wednesday is questioning her mother about the world outside the mansion gate. Meanwhile a community is raised by Margaux Needler, who is the responsible for the sales of the house, and the marsh is drained. When she sees the old mansion on the neighborhood, she decides to get rid of the Addams Family.

"The Addams Family" is a funny and entertaining movie for the family. The plot is silly but works in an afternoon. The residents acting like puppets manipulated by fake news and the teenage rebellion are the best moments. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Família Addams" ("The Addams Family")

I enjoyed most of the film. It is not perfect. the biggest gripe is that I can tell that the original screenplay was re-written. Now, as a child could I tell this? NO, and that is the primary audience. I think adults forget when they watch a movie primarily targeted to children that it will not totally appeal to them. Now, some exceptions to my enjoyment of children's films is the new terrible 2018 Grinch, which was so bad I could tell even the children were not entertained and I actually walked out of theater, this coming from an adult whom enjoys children's films. The problem with the Addams Family, lies in the two major plots, that of Margeaux, and that of Wednesday, the former feels resolved, and the latter does not, I solely blame script revisions on this, there are indeed 5 screenwriters named according to IMDB.

Despite this, I found the film engaging, fun, and funny. I felt it kept both spirit of the TV show and previous films, while adding something new. I don't regret seeing it, and, in fact, I might watch it again. It was well-animated, though I am not a huge fan of how they made Gomez look here, I can overlook it because the film, was on the whole, fun, entertaining, and other than a couple elements; very un-PC, which is very refreshing in this current trend to push hyper PC content that seeks to please a select group, and pleases no one.

If you are looking for family friendly affair that has a bit of adult humor, you could do a heck of a lot worse. On the whole, this is fun, with lots of dark humor, and tons of satire. The first half an hour is really a joy to watch, it is full of quirky and dark humor, if it could have maintained that for the whole film, it would be a classic, but as it remains, it is a decent way to pass 100 minutes. It is something both adults and children should be able to enjoy. At it's heart, it is about how some conformity is not good, some conformity can be beneficial, and the benefits of reaching a compromise. It emphasizes being who you and making your own decision about what you believe as most important. It deserves to make decent money, but with the current hyper PC culture, it might not, which is a shame, it is nice to see a film that, while not totally being defiant of the hype PC culture, at least defies some elements of it.

God Bless~Amy