Review of Addams Family Values (1993) by Bill C — 01 Sep 2010

In 1991, the Addams Family movie was a big hit at the box office, and a hit among fans, so of course, why not release a sequel. While the sequel managed to do OK at the box office, quality wise it's even better.

The cast is all back, and they're all as perfect as usual. But I wrote in my review for the first one, that the only problem was that the secondary characters just weren't interesting, and neither was the plotlline about the con-artist scheme. Here they've managed to not only have a good plotline, but some very funny supporting characters as well.

The end of the first film saw Fester, recover from his amnesia, and get rid of the con artists who've been using him all along. He was reunited, with the family, and we found out Morticia was pregnant.

Fester is also very rich, as the entire Addams clan is in possesion of a mass fortune, but Fester being the eldest, is the primary holder. So of course, here comes a Goldigger. With a baby boy named Pubert, now abroad, causing some funny actions taken by Pugsly & Wednesday (Ricci again in perfect from).

A new seeminlgy all too perfect Nanny, is hired after the two eldest Addams kids scare off the others, she is played too over the top perfection by the always underrated and underappreciated Joan Cusack, sporting a blonde wig, and wearing perfect dresses. We know here agenda from the get go, and in this case it's neccesarry, because to try and hide it from a movie goer in this kind of film would be insluting to a viewer's intelligence, we all wonder though, how it will all unfold.

Lloyd is channeling more of what Jackie Coogan did on the TV show back in the 60's, with a lot of outrageous comedy as Fester. And of course, his character is head over heels for Debbie, who is actually a serial killer named The Black Widow, who marries rich men, kills them, spends the money, and move onto the the next one.

Cusack is very funny, just watching her facial expressions during some scenes, or her fake perkyness, and of course, her always fun loud scenes.

The other funny characters provided here, are at the Summer Camp. Peter McNicol and Christine Baranski play a couple who run Camp Chippewa, channeling the positivie yet overly condesending and downright annoying "go-get'em" attitude, they will pay whatever price to make sure everything goes right. Baranski is always funny in just about anything she does, McNicol really goes all out here as well, and he succeds greatly.

Another great character is played by a young David Krumholtz, who many will know from the "Santa Clause" films as Bernard, as well as the hit TV series "Numbers". He plays Joel, a nerdy, geeky, allergy ridden outcast, who Wednesday has caught the eye of. There little romance is quite amusing.

I also have to give credit to Mercedes McNab, best known for her role as Harmony Kendall on the hit TV series Angel, as she's quite good here as the snotty little brat Amanda, Wednesday's rival. She seems to be having fun with the role, and you can't help but enjoy it.

Fact is, this movie succeds in departements where the other one was lacking, and it made it an overall better experience. I was expecting the regular cast to do well, that was no surprise, accept Lloyd stepping up his game a bit higher, but the supporting crew enhanced an already fun expereince.

Also, look out for Nathan Lane as a desk seargent.