But as a hip-hop/trap/painfully-current-remix of the original theme started to play, I realised I was completely f*cked.
This sequel tracks the Addams Family as they take a road trip across different landmarks in America – with hilarity ensuing. They run into trouble pre-departure when lawyers come knocking to tell Gomez and Morticia Addams that their daughter, Wednesday, is in fact not their real daughter.
A disappointing stab at an Addams Family film, it felt like the ‘point’ of most of the characters had been missed. The surreal and haunting nature of characters like Thing and Cousin Itt are stolen away by modern gimmicks such as a smartwatch and a rap star persona. Visually, the animated characters shared an identical likeness with the franchise's origin, the 1938 comic created by Charles Addams. Yet, Morticia had no mystery and Gomez no charm – let alone any loveable, borderline inappropriate tension between the two. Perhaps these limitations can be attributed to the family-friendly nature of the film, but still disappointing nonetheless.
The most well-known and iconic Addams Family references are thrown in at random
It feels, sadly, like the generic formula for a 2021 family-friendly film with the most well-known and iconic Addams Family references thrown in essentially at random.
One redeeming feature for me was the fairly obscure but not infrequent easter eggs of different iconic films that have little to nothing to do with The Addams Family. The sequence played to Gloria Gaynor’s iconic ‘I Will Survive’, for instance, seemingly a nod to the brilliant Priscilla Queen of the Desert (1994).
As you might be able to tell, I wasn’t a huge fan of The Addams Family 2. If you find yourself in the mood for a taste of the Addams Family this Halloween season, find solace in the films that star Anjelica Huston.
Rating: 2/5
