Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating *
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dog, Bette Midler, Allison Janney, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Tituss Burgess, Jenifer Lewis, Elsie Fisher, Conrad Vernon, Aimee Garcia, Scott Underwood, Mikey Madison, Chelsea Frei, Pom Klementieff, Deven Green, Maggie Wheeler, Harland Williams.
There is heartbreak in seeing a former favourite of film and television, as well as the original comic strips that they were based upon, fall so flat that it barely manages to crack a whimsical smile. The spark of genius that greeted viewers and cinema goers in the 60s and 90s as actors such as John Astin, Carolyn Jones, Ted Cassidy, Christopher Lloyd, Anjelica Huston and Christine Ricci made The Addams Family compulsive viewing, should now be in the hands of a damp, almost pale imitation, sub-standard offering; one that unforgivably does not make the most of the vocal talent at its disposal.
The case for the wooden performance, the almost diluted and watered down expression is one not to be taken lightly, after all an opinion is all that we can offer on anybody’s work when asked, but sometimes there is little else that you can justifiably say, you will appear mean, perhaps even be thought of not embracing the future of the medium but in the end you must be true and for the 2019 animated film of The Addams Family, it is arguably to be considered as one of the underwhelming films created.
The problem comes possibly with the visual that has been created, the way the animation works, perhaps finding ways to compare it with the slickness afforded by Pixar or even Disney, and if the Addams family is supposed to be creepy and altogether spooky, then the makers have hit the nail completely on the head and then driven through the other side with all the splinters spraying everywhere.
There is no life to this nail, there is no soul, whereas there was warmth and tremendous fun to be found in the 60’s and 90’s offerings, there is little to be found here, and not even the sparkling talent of Chloe Grace Moretz, Allison Janey and Martin Sort can alleviate the desperation in which the cinema goer ultimately feels.
A poor showing of a once truly original theme, The Addams Family seems to have reached its last click of its fingers.
Ian D. Hall