In 2019, the Addams Family returned to the big screen for the first time since the 1990s, this time in animated form. The Macabre Clan, inspired directly by Charles Addams’ original New Yorker cartoon characters and voiced by a star-studded cast, spoke out against normalcy and blew up a lot. Now, in a new sequel, they’re taking this show on the road. Like its predecessor, “The Addams Family 2” is more wacky than scary, offering much more to young children than the adults who accompany them.
This new iteration opens at a science fair; Wednesday (Chloë Grace Moretz) found out how to implant her pet octopus intelligence into her jerk Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll). Although she captures the attention of wealthy genius Cyrus Strange (Bill Hader), she simply wins a participation prize, and the resulting melancholy causes her to distance herself further from her parents.
In an attempt to bond with their teenagers, Gomez (Oscar Isaac) and Morticia (Charlize Theron) take the family on a trip to Death Valley, but their cross-country antics are robbed when an arrogant stranger (Wallace Shawn) insists Wednesday May were exchanged at birth.
The filmmakers (“The Addams Family” and “The Sausage Party” directors Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon) are smart to focus on Wednesday for most of this plot. She’s the wittiest character, and it’s hard to imagine an actor better placed to make her heard than Moretz. But where it could lean on the distinctively dry humor of the Addams family, this movie more often draws on some crappy jokes, explosions, and the musical talents of Snoop Dogg. It’s sure to keep little ones entertained, but parents may crave something more playful.
The Addams Family 2
Classified PG. Duration: 1 hour 33 minutes. In theaters and available to rent or purchase on Apple TV, Google Play, and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators.
