by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Who is ready for the Halloween season? The month of October is a perfect time to enjoy pumpkin picking, fall days, and plenty of spooky cinema! Whether you are spending that time catching up on the endless new horror films coming out this month, or catching up on some favorites, October is a fun time for movies. As a kid of the ’90s, I have a wonderful soft spot for The Addams Family (I have spent a lot of time as a kid watching the original series as well). But then a few years ago, MGM and Bron decided to make an animated remake of the beloved kooky and spooky family. I strongly disliked it. But maybe this sequel would be better!
Were directors Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon able to improve upon the first film in this budding franchise? Not quite. This sequel feels equally vapid and overly processed. All the other renditions have that trademark darker edge, but also equal parts fun. This film is filled with awkwardly chosen popular songs, and all the personality is wiped away. Similar to Scoob!, this feels like some wanted to bank off of a classic property, but throw away all the charm and replace it with low-brow elements to meet the lowest common denominator. After a disappointing first entry, this franchise just doubles down and keeps going for more of the same. The animation is also unwelcoming and strange (but not strange in a good way). It looks cheap and ugly instead of being ooky and spooky like it is going for.
The whole vibe of the film might feel forced, but does the script make up for it? Road trip films can be fun, right? But this one just feels aimless and just feels like a string of gags to maximize on geographically inclined jokes. The antagonists are bland and forgettable as they chase after Wednesday Addams and her talents. Do we want to root for her? No, because the film makes her a complete and utter jerk who is hard to sympathize with. Then they continue to portray Uncle Fester as a pervert and a horrible creep, but this time around, he tries to turn Pugsley into one too (poor kid). But by the end of the film, most of the characters or narrative points were either completely forgettable or made me angry. But most children will find the film inoffensive and silly (or stupid, depending on your threshold).
But there are plenty of big-name voice actors involved… do they salvage it? I want a live action version with Oscar Isaac RIGHT NOW. Gomez is silly, but he is certainly the most fun in the film. Charlize Theron is a quality addition as Morticia, and she plays well off Isaac. Most of the cast is forgettable (even additions like Bill Hader and Wallace Shawn). Nick Kroll basically plays his gym teacher character from Big Mouth, which never fits right in this film. Snoop Dogg is a bold and strange casting as Cousin It. At least they get to include his music, right?
So… this doesn’t sound too promising, right? The Addams Family 2 feels more content being forgettable and passable than being a true new version of the beloved property. They even tease the audience with credit sequences that hint at what it could have been. Kids will probably enjoy it, but I think adults will struggle with it.
Grade: D