By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
Oh snap! The new animated comedy
?The Addams Family? from directors
Greg Tiernan (?Sausage Party?) and
Conrad Vernon (?The Boss Baby?) is kooky, spooky and a whole lot of fun.
The movie adheres rather faithfully to the
Charles Addams created and beloved hit television series which ran on ABC from 1964-66.
And yes, the iconic and snappy theme song from Vic Mizzy is smartly, gloriously and humorously showcased near the beginning of the movie and right before the credits roll. The sing-along moment at the end of ?The Addams Family? was a big hit with kids and their parents at my screening.
What I enjoyed most about ?The Addams Family? is it?s so kid friendly. Often with kid?s movies, the humor is a bit too raunchy and the jokes too mature for them to grasp. Screenwriters
Matt Lieberman (?The Christmas Chronicles?) and Pamela Pettler (?Monster House?) keep the sight gags and humor light and breezy here resulting in 87 minutes of sheer delight.
It all begins when the family is looking for a new house and they settle on a dusty, old mansion on a hill in New Jersey.? It?s perfect,? says Morticia (an excellent Charlize Theron, ?Long Shot?) to her adoring husband Gomez (a terrific Oscar Isaac, ?Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse?).
What they don?t realize yet is the abandoned, haunted mansion sits below the town of ?Assimilation.? It?s a place where everyone is happy and goes along to get along.
Assimilation is also where national reality TV star Margaux Needler (a crazy Allison Janney (?Ma? and TV?s ?Mom?) broadcasts her home makeover show. Margaux has a magic touch that can turn any home into a blas? and ordinary dwelling.
Bet you can guess how that?s going to go over when she offers to remake the Addams Family?s house. And when the explosive loving Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard, ?It: Chapter Two?), his sister Wednesday (a funny Chlo? Grace Moretz, ?Greta?) and Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll, TV?s ?Big Mouth?) head out and meet their normal neighbors, hilarity reigns.
Adding to the shenanigans and nearly stealing the show is Lurch (Conrad Fisher, ?The Boss Baby?) who is quite the keyboardist and treats house guests to chestnuts like Booker T & The MGs, ?Green Onions? and a bit of ?Mister Rogers Neighborhood? theme song, among others.
Thing does his thing and has a thing for feet. Who knew? Snoop Dogg delivers pitch perfect gibberish as Cousin Itt and Jenifer Lewis (TV's "Black-ish") delights as Great Auntie Sloom along with Martin Short (Grandpa Frump) and Bette Midler as Grandma.
This ?Family? is kooky for sure, but well worth a visit.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 6:20 p.m. on radio station KFBK 1530 AM and 93.1 FM.
Take A Peek At This Trailer For
"THE ADDAMS FAMILY"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics? Association (BFCA), The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC), The Alliance Of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
