Review of The Addams Family (1991) by Xander S — 24 Sep 2014

As a lifelong fan of the 1960s sitcom, I loved Barry Sonnenfeld's demented, austere/hysterical take on Charles Addams' once-nameless cartoons. The only problems are a less-than-nuanced interpretation of the characters--the originals on the show were gleefully average Americans whose tastes just happened to run a little dark; these are just plain morbid, though often still hilarious--and a plot that is somewhat contrived.

Still, as far as feature film remakes of old TV shows go, it's definitely top-tier, with wacky camera work, inventive special effects that still hold up remarkably well, and memorable performances.

Christina Ricci's Wednesday Addams, for example, is the only character that actually improves on her cutesy inspiration.