“The Addams Family” Blu-ray Review: They’re Creepy And They’re Kooky

From MGM and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, The Addams Family is currently available for purchase on Blu-ray, DVD, On-Demand, and Digital. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this CG animated film as much as I did. I’m looking forward to the sequel already.

I was provided a free The Addams Family Blu-ray for review. The opinions are my own.

As someone who grew up watching The Addams Family animated series, I was excited when a new film was announced. When the trailer was released, I knew I had to watch it. Considering the $200 million (against a $24 million production budget) this title was able to collect from the globe, I’m glad this franchise will continue.

The movie opens up with Morticia (Charlize Theron) getting ready for her wedding with Gomez Addams (Oscar Isaac). However, their marriage is soon met with hostility from villagers who want them out. The fight is what leads to Morticia and Gomez trying to find a new place to call home. They meet Lurch (Conrad Vernon) on the way and the Addams decide to make an abandoned asylum their home and have a couple of kids. And of course, the asylum is haunted by a spirit. 

As far as I can remember, I thought Lurch was supposed to be some kind of Frankenstein monster. However, the film made it seem he ran away from an institution for the criminally insane. I’m not sure if I’m a fan of such a creative decision, but oh well.

The Addams Family doesn’t add anything new to the lore of the series. It is meant to be an introduction for the newer generation as well as a fun nostalgic-trip for older fans.

The premise deals with the Addams trying to maintain their individuality while a home makeover TV show host named Margaux Needler (Allison Janney) wants them to assimilate. Like literally, the neighborhood Margaux creates is called ‘Assimilation’ and the kids sing songs about there being no need to be different or special when you can be like everyone else.

With Plot A dealing with Margaux, Plot B and C deals with Wednesday (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard). Wednesday is curious about the ‘Assimilation’ neighborhood and befriends Margaux’s little daughter named Parker (Elsie Fisher). Pugsley has to get ready for a traditional family dance which is all about showing his relatives he has become a man and a protector.

I liked Wednesday’s arc in the film. Through her, the writers talked about the importance of having the choice to express yourself in the manner you want. While Margaux’s focus on assimilation was quite obvious, Morticia not wanting Wednesday to change and distance herself from family expectations was also a type of (subtle) assimilation.

Pugsley also got to shine in this film. He showed his family there’s more than one way for him to protect them while staying true to himself.

Coming to The Addams Family Blu-ray release, the video presentation is impressive. This film has a very unique art style and it comes across clearly with the 1080p transfer. From the stitching in the clothes to the veins under the skin of certain characters, there’s so much detail for you to take in.

The audio presentation is great, too, with the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. From the very loud climax to the more subtler scenes, I didn’t face any audio issues.

The Bonus Features on The Addams Family home release include:

• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Welcome to the Family – In this combined Making of/Character Profiles, we hear from the filmmakers and stars of The Addams Family about how the film came about, the animation process and insight into the characters.
• Life of a Scene – From black & white storyboards and layouts to animation and lighting, follow along with filmmakers as they bring to life a scene from the movie.
• Charades with Thing – There’s nothing quite like a game of Charades with your friends. But what happens when the person giving the clues isn’t exactly a person? What if he’s just… a hand? On talent day, stars of the film are invited to play Charades with Thing. Talent goes head-to-head, competing to see who can guess Thing’s clues. Graphics reveal the answers and keep score for each player.
• Addams Family Throwback
• “Haunted Heart” Lyric Video – performed by Christina Aguilera
• “My Family” Lyric Video – performed by Migos, Karol G, Rock Mafia & Snoop Dogg

In my opinion, The Addams Family is a fun introduction to the characters for a younger generation. It features a lot of comedy that, while is clearly meant for kids, will get some grownups to laugh too. Seeing Wednesday complete a school science project in her own weird way was hilarious to me.

With an approximate running time of 1 hour and 26 minutes, the pace never feels like a drag. Also, the characters are always up to something to keep you interested in what is going on.

Also, I’m not sure, but I think the film features a bit of queer representation. I wouldn’t be surprised if Margaux’s assistant is supposed to be a queer man. His behavior might be a bit stereotypical for a queer character, but it isn’t used in a manner for other characters to make fun of him.

Also, an Addams’ relative has a face that seems to have both masculine and feminine features. Again, the character isn’t made fun of by others. They are who they are.

Other than that, I liked how the film didn’t discriminate between Wednesday and Pugsley when it came to learning the traditional family dance. Whether you are a girl or a boy, you need to know how to protect your family. In the end, both Pugsley and Wednesday played a role in ensuring the Addams remained unharmed.

I say you should consider picking up The Addams Family home release and treat yourself to a fun time.

The film was released in the U.S on October 11, 2019. As mentioned, a sequel has been confirmed.

The Addams Family Blu-ray was made available on January 21, 2020. You can also buy it on DVD, On-Demand, and Digital.

Feel free to share your thoughts with us.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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