Addams Family Values (Wide Screen) > Reviews > Is it a boy Is it a girl Its an Addams

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Standard
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	dream cast, humour is as sharp as a knife, Christina Ricci in her best role
Disadvantages:	Fester sub - polt a distraction

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

"Can I be the victim?" "All your life!"

So The Addams Family film was so successful that this sequel was almost a foregone conclusion. But how can it possibly live up to the first film? Well it does, and I shall explain why.

First the synopsis. Fester is now settled into the family, and the happy news which ended the first film: Morticia's pregnancy (with supposedly 3 legs we were lead to believe!) has now materialised at the beginning of this film into her giving birth to a new addition to the family. "Is it a boy?" "Is it a girl?" "It's an Addams"

The baby, appropriately called Pubert and with only 2 legs we are relieved to find out, goes home but the children, Pugsley and Wednesday do not like this new rival to their parent's affection. So they try various methods of disposing of the baby, none of which work.

In desperation, Gomez and Morticia decide to appoint a nanny, but unfortunately the nanny they appoint is serial 'marry rich men and then kill them to get the money' woman the Black Widow, with the idea of marrying Fester to get her hands on the Addams fortune. Wednesday recognizes her, so Debbie (the Black Widow) decided it might be best if Pugsley and Wednesday go off to summer camp.

The rest of the film then centres on how the kids get on at summer camp, how Debbie manages to marry Fester and attempt to kill him, and how the Addams's finally rescue Fester from the grips of Debbie.

The film is as good as the original if not better for a number of reasons.

Firstly, all the cast of the first film are back, the brilliant Raul Julia, Angelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd and the sublime Christina Ricci.

Secondly, all the great on-liners, black humour, dark sets and desire on the part of the characters to engage in bizarre acts of torture is still there.

Thirdly: Christina Ricci delivers all the best lines again. This kid (as she was then) really does steal the show for a second time. The best scenes in the film involve her at the summer camp, trying to rebel against the camp leaders' determined efforts to turn the dysfunctional Addams kids into happy, smiling singing children. Just check out the swimming contest, the lock-in in the punishment house complete with 24 hour Disney videos, or the Pocahontas performance for the parents, where Wednesday and the other dysfunctional children get their revenge on the goody-two shoes. This is hilarious, dry as a bone humour that really is better than the original film.

The other plot with Fester is actually rather a distraction from the enjoyment of the Summer camp, but all in all the film goes along at a cracking pace, its 100 minutes up before you realise it.

If you loved The Addams Family, you'll absolutely adore Addams Family Values!

"Is it a boy?" "Is it a girl?" "It's an Addams"