How do you define normal? That’s always been the central question at the heart of The Addams Family, who found fame on TV in 1964 and first endeared themselves to cinematic audiences in 1991. Though a beloved 1993 sequel followed – as well as a 2010 Broadway musical – it’s taken the Sausage Party directorial team of Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon and a detour into animation to bring one of cinema’s most unusual families back to the big screen. For the most part it’s a faithful, winning return, reminding us once again that regular is relative and that the enduring appeal of Charles Addams’ macabre 1938 creation is eternal.
The world of the Addams family looks no less impressive for being animated. Not only are there beautiful contrasts between the moodiness of the family mansion and the colourful, but soulless visual of Margaux’s seemingly perfect town, but the character designs are very much inspired by Addams’ original 1930s cartoons, taking the family back to its roots.
The screenplay is smart enough not to go too overboard with its message of acceptance.
It helps that they’re brought to life by a star-studded voice cast, all of whom are clearly having a blast playing iconic roles. Isaac and Theron (perhaps the most attractive movie couple to ever be animated) are good value as parents who are trying to connect with their kids without losing sight of their family traditions, while Chloë Grace Moretz’s perfect deadpan delivery as their rebellious daughter Wednesday is a consistent highlight.
Although we’ve seen it in many an animated movie before, the themes of embracing individuality and living authentically are no less effective here and are neatly threaded throughout the movie, best embodied with the arc of Finn Wolfhard’s Pugsley (his coming-of-age ‘Mazurka’ ceremony is a standout sequence). Furthermore, at a time when people in power are stoking fear of the other, The Addams Family feels timely too. It’s easy to see the parallels between their world and ours, but thankfully the screenplay is smart enough not to go too overboard with its message of acceptance.
On the downside, there’s a lack of something wholly fresh, occasionally feeling needlessly on the nose – Margaux’s town is called ‘Assimilation’ – and reaching for the broad pop-culture joke and horror homage a little too often. But even 80 years after its inception, The Addams Family proves that there’s still plenty of creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky life left in the tank.
