01 Oct REVIEW – ‘The Addams Family 2’ isn’t creepy, mysterious or spooky but it is harmless fun for kids

It’s perfectly acceptable to admit you forgot there was an animated feature film version of The Addams Family back in 2019. A lot has happened since then. And, to be honest, the film didn’t exactly take the world by storm. The film’s saccharinely sweet treatment of Charles Addams’ deliciously macabre source material drew a tepid response from critics. But a surprising worldwide gross of $203 million on a budget of just $24 million meant a second film was all but assured.

Much like many animated sequels, The Addams Family 2 offers up more of the same from its predecessor. While this follow-up is kooky and all together ooky, it certainly isn’t creepy, mysterious or spooky like previous incarnations. But it is harmless, silly fun for kids and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. If your little ones enjoyed themselves the first time, they’re bound to have a good time again. But for those of us who long for the darker delights of the original TV series or Barry Sonnenfeld’s two twisted films from the 1990s, it’s naturally somewhat disappointing.

The sequel begins at a school science fair where Wednesday (Chloë Grace Moretz) is displaying her latest wacky experiment that extracts personality traits from her pet octopus, Socrates and implants them in her oafish Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll). As her doting parents, Gomez (Oscar Isaac) and Morticia (Charlize Theron) watch on, Wednesday is dismayed when every contestant earns a participation prize.

However, Wednesday’s invention catches the eye of wealthy scientist Cyrus Strange (Bill Hader), who offers the youngster the chance to partner with him and share her research. But a forlorn Wednesday rejects the offer and begins to withdraw from her parents. In a bid to reconnect with his daughter, Gomez decides to bundle the family into a camper and head off on a road trip across America.

Just as the family are about to depart, a lawyer named Mr. Mustela (Wallace Shawn) arrives on their doorstep claiming Wednesday was mistakenly switched at birth and her original parents are demanding her return. While Gomez assumes this is a ruse concocted by Wednesday to stop the vacation from taking place, Mr. Mustela won’t take no for an answer and trails the family along their journey.

This is basically a recycling of the plot of the first film with an identity crisis thrown in for good measure. It’s all very predictable and safe, but those are superlatives one could use for its predecessor, so it’s hardly surprising. The characters essentially follow the same arcs as they did previously. Perhaps young viewers won’t notice, but adults will feel something akin to déjà vu in a sequel that simply doesn’t try to offer anything new.

That being said, there is noticably more focus on Wednesday in this sequel. She’s always been the most interesting character in any adaptation of Addams’ comics, and co-directors Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon clearly know it. Once again, Moretz’s impressive voice performance takes heavy inspiration from Christina Ricci’s infamous take on Wednesday. Is that a bad thing? Well, no. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And Moretz does it so damn well.

Isaac is completely channeling Raul Julia, and clearly having a ball doing so. I’m still not quite sure what Theron is attempting with her take on Morticia, but it’s odd and out-of-place nonetheless. Unsurprisingly, it’s Hader who steals this one. It’s always a wise move to plonk him in a recording studio to bring an animated character to life, but it’s even better when he’s given free reign with a maniacal scientist like Cyrus. And, while sparingly used, Bette Midler‘s turn as Grandmama Addams is a terrific hoot.

As the Addams clan stop by landmark destinations like Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon, each comes with a bombastic set-piece that rarely feels like anything from Addams’ comics. They’re filled with explosions and slapstick physical humour that will surely delight young audiences. And that’s fine. Tiernan and Vernon know their target audience and seem content serving up what they came for. Although, just a mild trigger warning; the finale might be a touch terrifying for little ones.

The odd “adult” joke slips through (like a gag about two characters “hitting the catnip pretty hard”) and occasional pop culture references will sail over the heads of infant viewers. But it’s likely going to be a slog for most parents to get through this one. However, it was hard not to giggle at an utterly absurb rendition of “I Will Survive,” performed by Lurch (Vernon pulling double duties) of all characters. The impressive animation style is again completely faithful to Addams’ original drawings. Sure, the character designs look somewhat unpolished in the time of animation from studios like Pixar, DreamWorks, and Sony Pictures, but at least its the one unique aspect of a film that frustratingly plays by the rules again and again.

And that’s what ultimately makes The Addams Family 2 a missed opportunity just like its predecessor. Rule-breaking animated films like Frankenweenie, ParaNorman, and Coraline proved animation could be decidedly dark and still find ways to delight viewers of all ages. This sequel merely repeats the same mistakes of what came before and refuses to honour the ghoulish reputation of this once-lurid brand. It’s safe, clean fun for children. And, once again, that’s perfectly fine. But you can’t shake the feeling it’s something that would surely make Charles Addams spin in his grave.