There are strange things afoot with the new animated reboot of The Addams Family franchise. It’s almost an origin story and starts before Gomez (Oscar Isaac) and Morticia (Charlize Theron) have their children Wednesday (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard). They are forced from their homeland and end up settling in that horror of horrors, New Jersey.
The film is filled with imaginative moments like Thing (the hand with no body) watching appendage porn on his laptop and the butler Lurch (Conrad Vernon) tickling the ivories and belting out the R.E.M. song Everybody Hurts. One strange part is that most of the tidbits of clever are tailored to an audience a generation (or two) older than the current crop of youngsters.
The story as it is involves the art of being yourself and not following the norm and that message is delivered in a number of somewhat abnormal ways. This involves details like having hidden cameras in people’s bathrooms and cat fishing the townspeople on their social media feeds.
Given the film’s mixed reception, it offered a surprisingly high level of entertainment. It is also consistent in presenting those moments that make you feel clever for knowing the context and reference of its humour. It’s creepy, kooky and clever.
Rob Hudson
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