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Reviews
The Addams Family (1991)
An opposite, but equally valid interpretation.
The Addams Family was based on the original cartoons drawn by Charles Addams for the New Yorker - and Chaz would have been proud. Many of the scenes are taken straight from his work, and the whole movie maintains an unmistakably Addamsesque feel. ABC's classic 1960's television series was also based on these cartoons, and the movie is often criticized for not following the precedents set by the television show, but the fact remains that the movie has nothing to do with the show. They were both inspired by Addams, and the characters were obviously drawn up from his outlines for the TV show, but the similarity ends there. The movie captured just as much of Charles Addams' spirit as the show, but in a very different way.
Addams Family Reunion (1998)
So much potential, so little movie.
Tim Curry, was the spitting image of Gomez Addams as renowned cartoonist Charles Addams portrayed him in his original cartoons, and had the experience in playing creepy guys. He was the perfect choice to play Gomez...had the directors, writers and editors allowed him to act.
The same goes for the rest of the cast, as well. Daryl Hannah is a renowned actress who might seem counter-intuitive in a "dark" role, but she played the character well. Carel Struycken was a veteran as Lurch. Nicole Fugere's performance as Wednesday was totally flat, but after seeing what this brilliant young actress has done to the role in Fox Family's The New Addams Family, it is difficult to believe that it's the same girl.
With the amazing cast for this film, it had the potential to be the greatest Addams Family experience ever. But the plot lacked cohesion, the delivery lacked polish, and the movie simply lacked quality. The computer graphics were unrealistic and purely gratuitous.
Curry's performance as Gomez was outstanding, but no one person could save this bomb. I was painfully disappointed at the amount of talent wasted in this film, and hope that some day Curry, Fugere, and the rest will reunite under a more competent director to make a real Addams Family movie.
The New Addams Family (1998)
It's good to see old friends again.
The New Addams Family provides a refreshing look at our old friends Gomez, Morticia, Fester, Wednesday, Pugsley, Lurch, Grandmama, and of course, Thing. This new series is quite recognizable to veteran Addams fans as a continuation of the amazingly popular 60's show, but with more of the feel of the Addams movies. The writers do, on occasion, show a lack of originality in the plot-lines, which are, four-out-of-five, re-wordings of the original episodes, but the feeling is preserved, and the plots and character development thus far have shown that the developers are resisting the temptation to bring the family all the way into the 90's. The family has a wonderful old-fashioned naivete about them, which has always been one of the main elements of the Addams Family. The original plotlines remain the best, and most interesting. If the script-writers use enough original material and avoid the cartoon-ish humor of Addams Family Reunion and the Munsters, the show may prove a success. The players all fill their roles quite well, living up to the expectations set by their predecessors. Taranto is amazingly reminiscent of John Astin, who he obviously studied in great detail, so as to recreate the work of the master. The other characters are likewise well studied and well executed. Overall, the show lacks originality, but is a good, logical step in the evolution of The Addams Family.