hey’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re all together kooky it’s the Addams Family’s latest movie.
Since 1938, the Addams Family has been an iconic franchise that has managed to captivate audiences with dark humor throughout the decades.
The Addams Family were first brought to life by cartoonist Charles Addams and quickly became part of the pages on The New Yorker. Addams’ cartoons were well received by readers with their gothic visuals, satirical comments and morbid curiosity. By 1964 the comics had made a leap into television, giving life to the dark characters. Characters were first named during the show.
In 1977 a live action movie was aired and it would not be the last time The Addams Family graced the screen. In 1991 the film made the silver screen under the direction of Barry Sonnenfeld. The film received several Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. Although several decades have passed, The Addams Family has managed to continue to entertain audiences capturing the tone and wit of Charles Addams.
Recently, our favorite family misfits have once again hit the big screen, giving life to an animated version. The film was composed of several well-known actors such as Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard and Charlize Theron.
In the 2019 film, The Addams Family is preparing for a visit from all their creepy relatives, but trouble arises when the Addams family become an obstacle between television personality Margaux Needler’s dream to sell all the houses in the neighborhood. The film leaves a message encouraging people not to judge based on appearances.
The Addams Family made allusions to horror film IT and classic film Frankenstein. Wednesday Addams is spotted chasing after a red balloon and Morticia Addams comments on the balloon “There’s usually a murderous clown attached to one end.” It was a comical scene that emphasized Wednesday’s desire to fit in the outside world.
Wednesday Addams revives a toad in her science class and immediately breaks out screaming “It’s alive” repeatedly, making reference to Frankenstein’s reaction upon creating the monster.
The 2019 film also made several references to the 1991 movie. The “No Ragrets” tattoo found on Fester Addams in the 1991 film is showcased in the animated version. The characters’ tone were all similar to Charles Addams’ original characters. However, Wednesday’s values change in order to convey a message to younger audiences.
We all know Wednesday Addams’ personality as the hardcore character with a soft spot for spiders. Yet, the animated film portrays Wednesday as wanting to simulate into society. Changing Wednesday’s character affects the whole plot of the movie. In previous films Wednesday embraces being the outcast and misfit and in the new film Wednesday attempts to fit in and be liked by a group of girls in school.
The animated film was well done, having several comical dark scenes despite being a children’s movie. The altering of Wednesday character was a little disappointing but was needed to convey a message for children.
Growing up watching several adaptations of The Addams Family, my favorite is still the 1991 film. The creepiness and morbid curiosity of The Addams Family has made the misfit group one of our favorites.